/ 



The Angel of Mercy preaching the Everlafting Gofpel, True 
Religion appearing on Earth, and Idolatry and Superftition falling 
before her. 



RELIGIOUS 

€mUtms> an* 2Uiegorte0: 

A SERIES OF 

ENGRAVINGS, 

DESIGNED TO ILLUSTRATE DIVINE TRUTH. 



REV. WILLIAM HOLMES. 

A NEW EDITION, WITH AN INTRODUCTION 

BY THE 

REV. JAMES SMITH, 

AUTHOR OF "THE CHRISTIAN'S DAILY REMEMBRANCER," «THE 
BOOK THAT WILL SUIT YOU," ETC., ETC. 

LONDON:^ ' 
WILLIAM TEGG & Co., 85, QUEEN STREET, 
CHE APS IDE. 



1854. 




ENTERED AT STATIONERS 5 HALL, 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



This work, Religious Emblems and Alle- 
gories, is now for the firft time offered to the 
public in this country. It has already met with 
a large fale in the United States ; and, although 
the firft part was publifhed feveral years fince, the 
fale of the entire work is greater at this prefent 
time, than at any former period. The manner 
in which it has been received by Chriftians of all 
denominations, the good which there is reafon 
to believe has been effected by its perufal, has 
indeed been gratifying to its originator and pro- 
prietor. 

MefTrs. William Tegg and Co., the pub- 
liftiers of this improved edition, having purchafed 
all the original engravings, are the only authorized 
publiftiers of the work in this country. 

JOHN W. BARBER. 

London^ November , 1853. 

h 



PREFACE. 



In times like the prefent, it is important to 
feize upon every opportunity, and to ufe all 
lawful means to convey divine truth to the 
mind. Infidelity is ufing the prefs to pervert, 
degrade, and ruin the fouls of the young. Li- 
centioufnefs is in league with infidelity, and 
together they are doing immenfe mifchief to 
the rifing generation. The church of Chrift 
has done much to counteract the influence of 
an infidel and licentious prefs ; but much yet 
remains to be done. Under this impreffion, 
we rejoice to fee works of a moral or fpiritual 
character publimed in a cheap form, and 
circulated largely among the maffes. But we 
efpecially rejoice, when works calculated to 
arreft the attention, intereft the mind, and 

b 2 



Vlll 



PREFACE. 



fan£iify the heart, of young perfons, are pub- 
limed and circulated among us. With fuch 
feelings we wifh to introduce to parents, teach- 
ers, and young perfons, this volume. It is 
fimple, — fcriptural, — adapted to arreft the at- 
tention and imprefs the heart. It is an 
attempt to pleafe, in order to profit ; to intereft, 
in order to inftru£t ; to imprefs, in order to 
improve. Here are flowers and food, fancy 
and fa£t, faith and feeling, dodtrines and duties. 
It fpeaks to the eye, that it may improve the 
heart. It cautions the carelefs, counfels the 
perplexed, and comforts the caft-down. It ad- 
vifes in order to advance, wooes in order to win, 
and foothes in order to fan£tify. The tendency 
of it is thoroughly good. 

Parents, here is a book for your children. 
The pictures will pleafe them, imprefs them, 
and, under God's bleffing, do them good. 
What they fee in the cut will lead them to 
read the remarks, and both together will lay 
hold on the memory ; fo that the truths con- 
veyed are never likely to be forgotten. Teach- 
ers, here is a prefent for ? your children. You 



PREFACE. 



ix 



want reward-books for your induftrious pupils. 
This is one of the right fort. It will fecond 
your own lefTons, and apply your inftruftions. 
It will place before the eye what you fuggeft 
to the ear ; and what is feen in youth is feldom 
forgotten. Friends, here is a book that you 
may fafely circulate among the junior branches 
of your families, and give on birth-days to your 
acquaintances and younger relatives. It is 
likely to do good to many. Young people, 
you may fafely lay out your money in purchaf- 
ing this volume for yourfelves. You will not 
regret it. It would have made our hearts leap 
for joy to have pofTeffed a copy of it when we 
were young, and would perhaps have preferved 
us from fome fnares into which we have fallen. 
Books for the young then were very fcarce ; 
and moft of them were trafh ; now they are 
plentiful : but all are not good. Get good books ; 
read them carefully ; ftore your memories with 
their contents ; and pray to the Lord to give 
you grace to reduce them to practice. 

Reader, remember the beft books are in- 
efficient without God's blelling. Therefore, 



PREFACE. 



while we recommend this book to you, we 
would affectionately urge upon you to pray for 
the Holy Spirit, that he may apply the contents 
to your heart. Every thing is juft what God 
makes it. God can' make this book a Nathan 
to warn, reprove, and comfort you ; or a Solo- 
mon to advife, counfel, and inftruS you. He 
can make it a fource of pleafure, a rod of cor- 
rection, or a light to mine upon fome difficult 
path. If you read it with prayer, if you ponder 
its contents with ferioufnefs^ you will not be 
likely to regret that you poffefs it. May the 
Lord in his great mercy, accompany the perufal 
of it with his fpecial bleffing, and make it ufeful 
to thoufands, is the heart's defire and prayer of, 

Yours in Him, 

JAMES SMITH. 

Cheltenham. 



CONTENTS. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

PAGE. 

True and Falfe Principles i 

Truth 4 

Symbols of Chriftian Faith 8 

The Way of Holinefs . . . . . 12 

The Weight of God's Word . . . .16 

The Chriftian Race . . . . . 19 

Salvation . . ' . . . . .23 

The Chriftian Soldier ..... 26 

The Strait and Narrow Gate . . . .30 

Double-Mindednefs ...... 34. 

The Houfe Founded on a Rock . . . 38 

S elf-Confidence 42 

The Sun of Truth .4.5 

Light in Darknefs ...... 48 

The Worldling ....... 52 

The Crofs-Bearer 56 



Xll 



CONTENTS. 





PAGE. 


Worldly Honour .... 


60 


Heavenly Defire .... 


. . 64 


The Fatal Current .... 


. . 63 


Salvation by Faith .... 


72 


Simplicity, or want of Underftanding 


. . 76 


The Perfecuted Chriftian . 


80 


The Soul in Bondage . 


. . 84 


Danger'of Self-indulgence 


88 


Carnal Security . . . . . 


92 


The Threefold Demon, or Envy, Hatred, 


and Malice 96 


Chriftian Faith, or Religion . 


100 






Brotherly kindnefs . . . . 


. 108 


Divine Love and Juftice 


112 


Reconciliation . 


. 116 


Adoption ..... 


120 


Spiritual Pride . 


124. 


Hypocrify ..... 


128 


Slander and Backbiting 


132 


The Tree of Evil .... 


136 


Anger, or Madnefs . 


140 


Repentance ..... 


144 


Fearful and Fearlefs . 


148 


The two Worldlings .... 


152 


Faith and Works . . . . 


• 155 


Precipitation, or Rafhnefs . 


159 


Vain Purfuits . 


163 


Danger of Greatnefs 


167 



CONTENTS. 



Xlll 



PAGE. 



Guilt . . . . . . . 171 

Patience and Long-Suffering . . . .175 

Temptation ....... 179 

Prudence and Forefight . . . . .183 

Fortitude and Conftancy . . . . . 187 

The Faft- Anchored Ship . . . . .191 

Unanimity . . . . . . . 195 

RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

Looking unto Jefus . . . . . .201 

Walking by Faith . . . ,~ . . 208 

The Sure Guide . . . . . . .215 

Charity, or Love . . . . . 223 

Pride and Humility . . . . . .230 

The Sacrifice . . . . . . . 238 

No Crofs, no Crown . . . . . . 24.6 

The Life-Boat 253 

Obedience and Wifdom . . . . .260 

Danger of Prefumption . . . . . 268 

Decifion and Perfeverance . . . . .276 

Pafiion and Patience . . . . . 284 

The Conquering Chriftian 291 

The Imperial Philanthropift . . . . 298 

The Wintry Atmofphere . . . . -305 

The Protected Traveller 312 

The Pearl of Great Price 320 



xiv 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

The Great Difcovery . . . . . 327 

Paflage through the Defert . . . . • 335 

Selfifhnefs ....... 342 

The Imperial PafTenger ..... 349 

Venturing by Faith . . . . . . 357 

Path of Life and Way of Death . . . . 365 

Paft, Prefent, Future . . . . . 373 

Providence, Time, Eternity . . . . .381 

Triumph of Chriftianity . . . . . 389 



PART I. 
RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS, 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




"The word of the Lord endureth for ever." — i Pet. i. 25. 



TRUE AND FALSE PRINCIPLES. 

Lo ! where amid the ar<5Kc regions, rile, 
The Iceberg's turrets glittering in the fkies. 
Like fome cathedral Gothic built, it rides, 
Borne by the winds and ever-fliifting tides : 
All fhapes fantaftic foon the phantom wears, 
A palace now, and now a fhip appears : 
At length it drifts towards fome fouthern more, 
When lo : 'tis vanifh'd, and is feen no more. 

Not fo the Rock that rears its ancient head, 
Its deep foundations laid in ocean's bed 5 
All change refills, unalter'd is its form 
Amid the funfhine, and amid the ftorm, 
Unmoved it ftands, and frill 'twill ftand fecure, 
Long as the moon, and as the fun endure. 

The Iceberg lifts its towering fummit to the 
clouds, fparkling and dazzling, like a group of 

B 



2 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



temples overlaid with filver. Its cryftalline 
magnificence is bewildering ; it forms one of the 
moll fplendid objects that the mariner meets 
with in the northern feas, and at the fame time 
one of the molt dangerous. It is a floating mafs 
without foundation ; winds, waves, and currents, 
bear it along in all directions. It affumes the 
mo ft fantaftic fhapes imaginable : fometimes it 
looks like mountains piled on mountains ; then 
temples, palaces, and fhips are feen by turns ; 
then again, cathedrals of every order of archi- 
tecture appear to the eye of the wondering 
beholder. After a while it drifts out of the high 
latitudes into milder climes. It is carried towards 
the fouthern fhores, the fun pours its burning 
rays upon the mammoth temple, turret after 
turret, fpire after fpire difappear, until the whole 
has diflblved. Its glory has departed. 

How very different is the nature and deftiny of 
the Rock that is feen lifting its time-worn head 
above the furrounding waves ! It is probably as 
old as time itfelf ; it retains its ancient pofition ; its 
foundations take hold of the world ; it is marked 
in the charts, men always know where to find it, 
and are therefore not endangered by it. Changing 
the form of the element that furrounds it, itfelf 
unchanged, the fummer's fun and winter's ftorm 
alike pafs harrnleflly by it. It is one of the ever- 
lafting hills, it muft abide for ever. 

The engraving is an emblem of True and 
Falfe Principles. Falfe principles are reprefented 
by the Iceberg. Like the iceberg, they are 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



3 



without a foundation ; however fpecious, bril- 
liant, and fafcinating their appearance, they have 
no folidity. Like it, too, they are ever-changing : 
their form receives its various impreffion from 
the ever-fluctuating fpeculations of mankind, and 
from the power and influence of the times. Like 
it, they are cold and cheerlefs to the foul, nip- 
ping all its budding profpects, cramping all its 
mighty powers. Like the iceberg, alfo, falfe 
principles will melt away before the burning fun 
of truth, and pafs into oblivion. It will not do 
to truft in them. Who would make a dwelling- 
houfe of the tranfitory iceberg ? 

It is not fo with true principles ; although they 
may appear fomewhat homely at flrft fight, yet 
the more they are contemplated the more they 
will be admired. Like the Rock, their foun- 
dations are laid broad and deep. The principles 
of truth reft on the throne of God, they are as 
ancient as eternity. Like the Rock, they may 
always be found. Are they not written in the 
Holy Bible ? Like their Author, they are with- 
out variablenefs or ftiadow of turning, for, 

" Firm as a rock, God's truth muft ftanci, 
When rolling years mall ceafe to move." 

Semper idem — cC Always the fame" — is their 
motto. Like the Rock of Ages, true principles 
live when time mall be no more. As are the 
principles, fo are all who truft in them, for cc the 
righteous mail be had in everlafting remem- 
brance." 

B 2 



4 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" Lord, who fliall abide in thy tabernacle ? He that fpeaketh 
truth in his heart." — Ps. lv. 23. " Thy word is truth."— John 
xvii. 17. 

TRUTH. 

Truth, glorious truth, of heavenly birth, and fair, 

In fimple majefty array'd, is there ; 

Her right hand holds the faithful mirror clear, 

Where all things open as the light appear : 

Her left, upon the facred page reclines, 

Where unadulterate truth refplendent mines ; 

The world's falfe mafic fhe tramples down with fcorn, 

Adorn'd the moft when fhe would leaft adorn. 

As her own temple on the margin feen, 

Stands forth reflected in the filvery ftream : 

So what by her is thought, or faid, or done, 

Appears confpicuous as the noonday fun ; 

Truth is the image of our God above, 

That mines reflected in his fea of love. 

All hail, blefPd Truth ! thou daughter of the Ikies, 

Reign thou on earth, and bid earth's fons arife $ 

Bid Virtue lead, and Juftice hold the fcale, 

For thou .art mighty, and wilt foon prevail. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



5 



Truth is reprefented in the drawing above in 
the perfon of an artlefs female. She is attired 
with fimplicity. In her right hand Ihe holds a 
mirror. As the mirror reflects objects that pafs 
before it as they are, without addition, alteration, 
or diminution, fo Truth prefents every thing juft 
as it is. The left hand refts on the Holy Bible. 
This is to mow that it is from thence fhe derives 
the principles which regulate her conduct, the 
fource of unadulterated truth to mankind. She 
is feen trampling a mafk beneath her feet. It is 
the mafk of hypocrify, which fhe rejects with 
fcorn, as being utterly at variance with her prin- 
ciples and feelings. In the background ftands 
the Temple of Truth, the image of which is 
plainly reflected by the clear, placid ftream that 
glides before it. 

Truth, in an evangelical fenfe, is all-important. 
It alone will give character to an individual, more 
than all other qualities put together. It is of 
itfelf a rich inheritance, of more worth than 
mines of filver and gold. It is more ennobling 
than the higheft titles conferred by princes. 
Everybody loves to be reflected, but an indi- 
vidual to be loved and refpected muft be known. 
He only can be known who fpeaks the truth 
from his heart, and acts the truth in his life. 
We may guefs at others, but as we do not know 
we cannot refpect them, for, like pirates, they 
oftentimes fail under falfe colours. 

cc Nothing is beautiful except Truth," is a 
maxim of the French, although, it has been moft 



6 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



deplorably negle&ed. Neverthelefs, the fenti- 
ment is correft. Truth is glorious wherever 
found ; Jefus, who is " the Truth," is the alto- 
gether lovely, and the faireft among ten thoufand. 
Truth is the glory of youth, and the diadem of 
the aged. But Truth is efTential to happinefs, 
both in this world and alfo in the next. For 
" what man is he that defireth life, and loveth 
many days that he may fee good ? Keep thy 
tongue from evil, and thy lips from fpeaking 
guile." Lord, who mail dwell in thy holy hill ? 
He that " fpeaketh the truth." It is related of 
Cyrus, that when afked what was the firft thing 
he learnt, he replied, " To tell the truth." Cyrus 
muft have been very fortunate in having fuch 
good inftrudtors. Lord Chefterfield would have 
inftru£r.ed him differently. 

In the days of Daniel (as the tradition fays), 
the wife men were ordered by the king to de- 
clare what was the ftrongeft thing on earth. 
Each man brought in his anfwers ; one faid 
wine was the ftrongeft, another mentioned 
women ; Daniel declared that Truth was the 
mo ft powerful ; which anfwer pleafed the king, 
and the palm of victory was decreed to Daniel. 

" Seize, then, on truth where'er 'tis found. 
Among your friends, among your foes ; 
On Chriftian or on heathen ground, 
The plant's divine where'er it grows." 

" Let not mercy and truth forfake thee ; bind them 
about thy neck ; write them upon the table of thine 
heart : fo malt thou find favour and good underftanding 
in the fight of God and man." — Pro v. iii. 3. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 7 

" The lip of truth mall be eftablifhed for ever : but a 
lying tongue is but for a moment.'" — Pro v. xii. 19. 

"Buy the truth and fell it not.'' — Prov. xxii. 23. 
" Lie not againft the truth.'" — James iii. 11. " Speak ye 
every man the truth to his neighbour j execute the judg- 
ment of truth." — Zech. viii. 16. 

" Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord $ but they 
that deal truly are his delight.'" — Prov. xii. 23. 



8 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" Till we all come in the unity of the Faith." — Ephes. iv. 13. 



SYMBOLS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH. 

See on the right, all glorious Hope doth ftand, 
And gives to heavenly Truth the plighted hand .• 
With Seraph's wings outfpread, Love ftands between : 
And binds their hearts with his celeftial chain. 
Thefe are Faith's emblems ; — thefe its Parents three : 
To produce Faith, Hope, Truth, and Love agree. 

Christian Faith is reprefented above, by a 
union of Truth, Hope, and Love. The hope of 
heaven is reprefented by the apoftle Paul as the 
anchor of the foul, confequently Hope is ufually 
depicted leaning on an anchor. She holds Truth 
by the hand, mowing that they muft be in clofe 
alliance. Truth holds in her , hand the Holy 
Bible as a mirror, whereby finful men can fee the 
deformity of their hearts. With her right hand, 
flie receives the overtures of Hope ; me tramples 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



9 



under her feet the rnafk of Hypocrify ; fimple 
and unadorned, me rejects the cloak of diffimu- 
lation, and cafts afide all concealment. Love 
holds the middle place, and flrengthens the 
union fubfifting between Hope and Truth. Di- 
vine Love is drawn with wings, to reprefent her 
heavenly origin. 

Faith is both created and preferved by Hope, 
Truth, and Love. This Triad conftitutes its 
efficient caufe. Truth is indeed the mother of 
Faith. Hope aflifts in its creation, by its ex- 
pectations and defires ; Love nourifhes and re- 
conciles, and thus contributes to lay a foundation 
for Faith. 

True faith, as reprefented in the Scriptures, is 
always connected with a " good hope through 
grace/' The truths of God's word form the 
only proper objects for its exercife. Without 
Love, there can be no good works ; and " with- 
out works faith is dead/' Chriftian Faith, as 
defcribed above, is diftinguiflied from the faith of 
devils, who are faid to "believe and tremble" 
becaufe they have no hope ; and from the faith 
of wicked men, who " love not the Lord Jefus 
Chrift," and who are confequently u accurfed 
and from the faith of the carnal profeflbr, who 
has Told the truth, and has pleafure in unrighte- 
oufnefs. 

The proper ufe of faith is to bring us to God, 
to enable us to obtain the promifes contained in 
the word or truth of God. If Chrift had not 
been moved by love, he would not have fuffered ; 



10 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



if he had not fuiTered, we fhould have had no 
promife of pardon ; if we had no promifes, we 
fhould have no hope ; if we have no hope, we 
fliall have no faving faith in the mercy of God. 
Chrift is fet forth a refuge for finners, he faves 
all who flee for refuge to the hope fet before 
them ; but thofe only who believe in him, flee to 
him. Faith then is an inftru merit of falvation ; 
" t>7 grace are ye faved through Faith." 

The finner hears, and gives credence to the 
Faith of God : the terrors of the Almighty take 
fafV hold upon him ; his fins weigh him down 
to the duft : but hark ! the voice of heavenly 
love is heard proclaiming: " Come unto me all 
ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will 
give you reft." Fie looks upward, Hope fprings 
up, he ventures on the Redeemer, " who jufti- 
fies the ungodly ; " his faith has faved him. It 
is counted to him for righteoufnefs, and being 
juftified by it, he has peace with God, through 
our Lord Jefus Chrift. 

A celebrated divine once gave his little child 
an illuftration of the nature of Faith in the fol- 
lowing manner. The child had a beautiful ftring 
of beads, with which file was much delighted. 
Her father fpoke to her, faying, u Come, my 
child, throw thofe beautiful beads into the fire, 
and I will, in the courfe of a few days, give you 
fomething far more beautiful and valuable." The 
child looked up into the face of her father with 
aftonifhment : after looking for a time, and fee- 
ing he was in earneft, fhe caft her beautiful toys 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



I I 



into the fire, and then burft into tears ! — Here 
was Faith. The child believed her father fpoke 
the truth ; ftie expected, or had a hope, he 
would fulfil his promifes ; and confiding in his 
Love flie was willing to obey him, though it coft 
her tears. 



12 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" And an highway fhall be there, and a way, and it fhall be 
called the way of holinefs j the unclean fhall not pafs over it." 
— Isa. XXXV. 8. 

THE WAY OF HOLINESS. 

There is a place, a Holy place above, 

Where Angels holy dwell in light and love : 

There is a God, a Holy God who reigns, 

And holy empire over all maintains ; 

There is a way, a holy way, whofe road 

The holy Pilgrim brings to heaven and God : 

See ! on that way the holy Pilgrim hies, 

Nor doubts at laft 'twill lead him to the fkies. 

With robes entire, and garments clean and white, 

He walks with joy along the plains of light. 

See ! one has left the holy way divine, 

His clothes are foiled, he wallows now with fwine 5 

Alone, the Pilgrim on his pathway fpeeds,, 

And leaves th' apoftate to his worldly deeds. 

See where the way of Holinefs ftands caft up. 
It is ftrongly buiit and confpicuous to all be- 



i 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



13 



holders ; a pilgrim is feen walking thereon tri- 
umphantly and fecure ; his garments are unfullied 
and untorn. Down off the way is one wallow- 
ing in the mire ; fee how he grubs up the filthy 
lucre. His garments are rent, and foiled ; the 
beallly fwine are his chofen companions. 

This is an emblem of Holinefs, and of its pro- 
feffors. The upright conduct of the pious is 
called, a u way," a u highway," and " The way 
of Holinefs." It is a way of fafety, cc No lion 
mall be there," and " the wayfaring man, though 
a fool, [illiterate] fhall not err therein." The 
Pilgrim purfuing his journey, with his garments 
unfullied and untorn, denotes the Chriftian 
c< walking in all the commandments and ordi- 
nances of the Lord blamelefs." u The fine 
linen, clean and white, is the righteoufnefs of 
the faints." The man among the fwine, figni- 
fies an Apoftate from God and Holinefs he has 
u left off to do good ;" the love of the world has 
again taken poffeffion of him ; " he has turned 
as the dog to his vomit again, and as the fow 
that was warned to her wallowing in the mire." 

Holinefs in man confifts in obedience to the 
divine commands — in loving God fupremely — in 
loving our neighbour as ourfelves. Man, by na- 
ture and by practice, is finful, and fin is fuperla- 
tively felfifh. A felfifhnefs pervades the heart, 
which is enmity againft God. It is not fubject: 
to the law of God, neither indeed can be, con- 
fequently the love of God dwelleth not in the 
felfifh heart. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Selfifhnefs is the prolific fource of every vice ; 
giving birth to oppreflion, falfehood, injuftice, 
and covetoufnefs ; producing outbreaks of the 
bafeft paffions, fuch as envy, wrath, malice, 
pride, revenge, which end in crimes of deepeft 
guilt. 

On the other hand, Holinefs is boundleffly 
benevolent ; it embraces God, it embraces the 
world. It gives to God the fincere worihip of 
an undivided heart. 

It gives to man the generous activities of a 
ufeful life. The man of holinefs is the almoner 
of a world. The Law of Jehovah is the proper 
ftandard of holinefs ; the Almighty himfelf the 
only proper model for ftudy and imitation ; there- 
fore, of the man of Holinefs it is faid, ct The 
law of God is in his heart, none of his fteps fhall 
Aide." And hence it is written, " Be ye holy, 
for I am holy." Hence we may learn that the 
fubje£t is one of great importance, fince what- 
ever we may poflefs befides, without holinefs no 
one mail fee the Lord it is the wedding gar- 
ment which renders the gueft welcome at the 
marriage-fupper of the Lamb ; it is the fine 
linen, clean and white, which is the righteouf- 
nefs of the faints. Thus it fignifies a preparation 
for eternal glory. 

Holinefs and happinefs are divine fitters ; 
twins, always feen together. God has ftamped 
the feal of his approbation on everything ap- 
proaching to innocence and purity ; it is feen in 
nature — the roar of the lion, the fierce howling 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



15 



of the wolf is the language of difquietude and of 
blood, ftriking terror into the boldeft heart ; 
while the cooing of the turtle-dove, the bleating 
of the fleecy lamb, fpeak the language of inno- 
cence and peace. We may vifit the manfions 
of the rich, the caftles of the powerful, or the 
palaces of kings, yet if holinefs be wanting, in 
vain do we fearch for happinefs. It is not there. 

We may vifit the abodes of the poor, the cot- 
tage of the afflicted, the hovel of the dying. If 
we find the inmates in poflfefiion of holinefs, 
there alfo we find happinefs ; poverty does not 
expel her, affliction does not drive her away, 
death even cannot pronounce a divorce ; united 
are they in life, undivided in death, infeparable 
to all eternity. 



i6 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




"We have alfo a more fure word of prophecy." — 2 Pet. i. 9. 



THE WEIGHT OF GOD'S WORD. 
Look where the impartial balance hangs on high, 
The Almighty's word againft weak man's to try ; 
Huge folios rare, and many a bulky bale, 
Are brought, and laid upon the even fcale : 
Of " Council's" records many a tome is fent, 
From the great Nicean down to that of Trent 5 
" Creeds," " 'inns," creatures of the human thought, 
Ancient and modern, are together brought ; 
And "fathers" numerous, a learned line, 
From Pfeudo-Barnabas to Auguftine ; 
The Bible now, of proteftants the pride, 
Is placed alone upon the other fide : 
Creeds, councils, fathers, 'ifms, twenty ream, 
Fly up like chaff, and ftraightway kick the beam. 

The above engraving reprefents a pair of 
fcales of equal balance, one fide of which is 
loaded with books, packages, and parchments. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



17 



Here are the minutes of eighteen general coun- 
cils, beginning with that held in Nice, in the 
year of our Lord 325, and ending with that of 
Trent, which began in the year 1545, and clofed 
in 1563, with many others. There are alfo the 
writings of the " Fathers," from thofe afcribed 
to Barnabas, but confidered fpurious, downward. 
Then there are Creeds without number, both of 
ancient and modern date ; next follow the various 
ifms of the day, that fet themfelves up againft the 
word of God. Thefe are all placed on one fcale, 
the Bible is now brought and placed on the other; 
when, lo! "Creeds, Councils, Fathers, and 
'ifms" are but as the duft of the balance. Lighter 
than vanity 3 they fly up and kick the beam ; one 
Bible outweighs them all. 

This emblem is defigned to mow the authority 
of the Bible over the doctrines and command- 
ments of men. When the lion roars, the beafts 
of the forefts keep filence ; when Jehovah fpeaks, 
the inhabitants of the world ought to Hand in 
awe. During the fpace of fifteen hundred years, 
God uttered his voice in the ears of the children 
of men. He has declared his will, and fanctioned 
fuch revelation by the repeated manifeftations of 
his almighty power. He employed holy men as 
the authorized recorders of his laws ; and clofed 
the whole with the denouncement of a curfe 
againft all who mould add to or diminim there- 
from > 

Notwithstanding this, there have been men in 
all ages who have fet up their will againft that of 

c 



i8 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



the great Jehovah. They have made a record 
of the fame, forbidding what God has commanded, 
and ordaining what God has prohibited. Thus, 
by their traditions, they make void the laws of 
the Eternal. What folly is this ! what blafphemy ! 
what rebellion ! The words of the Lord are 
tried, pure, and everlafting ; thofe of man are 
fliort weight, corrupt, and are palling away. By 
the laws of God, not by the opinions of men, we 
mall be judged at the laft day. 

Terribly has the curfe fallen upon thofe who 
have eftabliftied human opinions in oppofition to 
the Word of God; witnefs the Jews, who, fince 
the fatal overthrow of their city, have been vaga- 
bonds over all the face of the earth. Witnefs 
the poverty, ignorance, and mifery of thofe parts 
of the world where human creeds prevail, and 
where the Bible is rejected ; yea, witnefs in the 
cafe of every man who fubftitutes his will for 
God's. To the law and to the teftimony, if they 
fpeak not according to this word, it is becaufe 
there is no light in them. 

" All fcripture is given by infpiration of God, and is 
profitable for doclrine, for reproof, for correction, for in- 
ftruclion in righteoufnels." — 2 Tim. iii. 16. 

" Search the fcriptures." — Matt. xxii. 29. 

" We thank God without ceafmg, becaufe when ye 
received the word of God which jt heard of us, ye 
received it not as the word of men, but as it is of truth, 
the word of God." — 1 Thess. ii. 13. 

" Ye mall not add unto the word which I command 
you, neither mail ye diminifh. aught from it." — Deut. iv. 2. 

ec If any man mail add unto thefe things, God mall 
add unto him the plagues that are written in this book." 
— Rev. xxi. 18. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. I 9 




u So run that ye may obtain." — 1 Cor. ix. 24. 
THE CHRISTIAN RACE. 



Behold ! the race-courfe here before us lies 5 
See ! many running for the glorious prize ; 
Some fweat and toil, and maugrc a)l their pains, 
Small is their progrefs, fmaller ftill their gains. 
With weights opprerFd, of fordid gold and care, 
They run awhile, then give up in defpair. 
But one is feen whofe fpeed outftrips the wind, 
The laggers all he quickly leaves behind $ 
Conformed to rule, he cafts all burdens down, 
And preffes forward to receive the crown. 

In his exhortations to Chriftians, the great 
apoftle of the Gentiles very often alludes to the 
Olympic games. Thefe games were celebrated 
in different parts of Greece, particularly on the 
ifrhmus which joined the Morea to the main 
land ; hence called the Ifthmian exercifes. They 
were held on the banks of the river Alpheus, 
near Olympia, a city of Elis. They were con- 
c 2 



20 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



fidered of fo much importance that, from the 
period of their firft regular eftablifhment, a new 
era of reckoning time was constituted, juft as we 
reckon from the birth of Jefus Chrift. Each 
Olympiad confifted of four years ; hence they 
dated events from the firft, fecond, third, or 
fourth year of any particular Olympiad. The 
firft Olympiad commenced 776 years before the 
Chriftian era. Thefe exercifes confifted of five 
different kinds, viz. boxing, wreftling, leaping, 
the quoit, and racing. We confine ourfelves to 
the illuftration of the latter. The celebration of 
the running match excited great intereft. Hence 
the preparation for thefe feftivals was very great. 
No man could become a candidate for the prize 
unlefs he bore a good character, and regularly 
exercifed himfelf ten months previoufly, accord- 
ing to the rules prefcribed. 

The rules were very fevere ; a ftrict regimen 
had to be obferved, unpalateable food to be eaten, 
abftinence from all luxuries, exercifes were to be 
continued through all weathers, and we know not 
what befides. And now the grand day has 
arrived ; the judge is appointed, having been 
previoufly fworn to deal impartially — the race- 
courfe is cleared, the place of ftarting fixed ; the 
judge takes his feat at the goal, or end of the race- 
ground, and holds in his hand the crown of olive, 
or of laurel, deftined to grace the victor's brow; 
officers are appointed to keep order. The city is 
emptied of its inhabitants, all the principal men 
are there. The candidates make their appearance ; 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



21 



every eye is fixed upon them ; every heart is in 
motion. Diverted of all needlefs clothing, fome- 
times naked, they await the fignal, — 'tis given — 
off they ftart. Not a whifper is heard among all 
that multitude ; with intenfe intereft they watch 
the runners as they pafs along. A fhout is heard. 
The victor returns, like a triumphant conqueror, 
drawn in a chariot of four, wearing the crown of 
victory, and is everywhere greeted with the 
acclamations of the people. 

Religion is compared to a race. The fladium, 
or race-ground, is the path of piety leading 
through this world to the next ; the runners are 
thofe who profefs religion ; the officers appointed 
to keep order, the minifters of the gofpel ; the 
fpectators, men and angels ; the judge, the Lord 
Jefus Chrift; the reward, a crown of righteouf- 
nefs. 

Let us imagine a company of young perfons 
juft commencing the Chriftian race. They fet 
off together. The directions are given to all ; 
they are four in number: I. Be fure to lay afide 
every weight ; 2. Relinquifh the befetting fin ; 
3. Exercife patience; 4. Look to Jefus. They 
go along pretty well for awhile. Soon one is 
feen lagging behind. What is the matter ? He 
has too much weight about him. Another drops 
off ; his befetting fin has prevailed. A third is 
miffing ; what ails him ? O, he is out of patience 
—with God, himfelf, and everybody befides. 
Some follow the directions, perfevere to the end, 
and obtain the prize. But mark : of thofe who 



22 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



run in the Grecian games, one only could receive 
the prize. In the Chriftian race, all may run fo 
as to obtain. The judge there was fometimes 
partial ; the Chriftian's umpire is the u Righteous 
Judge." The fuccefTful candidate, after all his 
labours, obtained only a garland of withering 
flowers ; the Chriftian receives a glorious 
" crown of righteoufnefs that fadeth not away." 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



23 




"In God is my falvation and my glory ; the rock of my ftrength, 
and my refuge, is in God." — Ps. lxii. 7. 

SALVATION. 

Lo ! where amid appalling dangers dread, 

The rock undaunted lifts its welcome head 5 

The fhip of commerce gaily fail'd along, 

All hands were merry with their evening fong j 

When lo ! they leud before a fudden blaft, 

The fails are fhiver'd, broken is the maft j 

The fhip is wreck'd, the ftorm rolls wildly round, 

The Unking failors have no footing found. 

In drowning plight, ftunn'd by the wave's rude fhock, 

The lightning kindly points them to the rock ; 

The Rock they grafp, and raife themielves on high, 

In confcious fafety bid the ftorm pals by. 

So when mankind were wreck'd on Eden's more, 
Loud was the tempeft, loud the thunder's roar, 
Earth, fea, and ikies affrighted were, and tofT'd, 
Tumultuous all. Shall man be faved, or loft ? 
In that wild ocean of defpair and dread, 
The Rock of Ages lifts his lofty head. 



24 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



The finner, finking, Itunn'd by Sinai's mock, 
By Sinai's lightning, now beholds the Rock ; 
With glad furprife, more clear his moral Tight, 
He fees befides, a crofs of heavenly light 
The Rock he clambers, to the crofs he clings, 
And faved from danger, of Salvation fings. 

A short time fmce, and that veffel was failing 
calmly and fecurely over the foft blue wave. 
The voice of fong arofe, and mingled its melodies 
with the light air around. Home, fweet home, 
was the theme which gladdened every heart. 
But ah ! thou treacherous fea ! Thou deceitful 
wind ! How changed the fcene ! The voice of 
fong is departed ; joy and gladnefs are no 
more. Xnftead of the mufic of foft symphonies, 
are heard the clamours of defpair, the thunder's 
mighty roar, old ocean's harm founds, and the 
howling of the ftorm. The fhip is driven 
fiercely before the gale, fails are rent, one of the 
mails is gone by the board, ruin fleers the ill-fated 
fhip ; fhe ftrikes upon a reef, the billows roll 
over her, the crew are wafhed overboard. Night 
thickens around with his ftormy horrors ; man- 
fully the drowning wretches buffet the waves ; 
the lightning flings its lurid glare around, and 
mows them their awful condition ; again it 
lightens, and they defcry a rock, lifting its head 
above the billows, and promifing a place of lafety. 
Hope revives — they fwim for the rock, foon 
u they make it." See, they have got upon it. 
Now they are fafe. 

The veffel, failing joyfully and fecurely before 
the gale began, may reprefent the fafe and happy 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



25 



condition of our firft parents before they were 
affailed by the ftorms of temptation; the drown- 
ing mariners denote the deplorable ftate of man- 
kind fince the fall, who are linking amidft the 
waves of guilt and woe ; the tempeft overhead 
denotes the ftorm that howls over the head of 
every fmner, in confequence of the violation of 
Jehovah's law. Sinai thunders forth its curfes, 
and flaflies its lightnings around the finner's path, 
in order to fhow him his weaknefs, his guilt, and 
his danger. As the lightning points the drowning 
failor to the rock, fo the law directs or opens the 
way to Chrift, that the finner might be juftified 
by faith in the atonement. 

The rock, rifing in the troubled ocean, afford- 
ing a Alerter from the fhipwreck, reprefents 
Chrift, the Rock of Ages, who has borne all 
the fury of the ftorm for man, and who, by his 
crofs, giveth life and light to a dying world. 
The penitent finner, feeling himfelf finking in 
the mighty waters, and tremblingly alive to the 
dangers of the tempeft above, and to the more 
fearful dangers of the rolling waves beneath, 
efcapes to the Rock^ embraces the crofs, and is 
safe, i. e., he believes in the Lord Jefus Chrift, 
and is faved. 

Jesus, lover of my foul, 

Let me to thy bofom fly, 
While the nearer waters roll, 

While the tempeft ftill is high. 
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide, 

Till the ftorm of life is paft, 
Safe into the haven guide, 

O receive my foul at laft. 



26 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" And having done all, to ftand." — Ephes. vi. 13. 
THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER. 



The Chriftian hero here has made his Hand, 

Obedient to his Captain's great command j 

In panoply divine, equipped complete, 

No danger dreads, no foe he fears to meet : 

Truth wove the girdle that his loins adorn, 

This bears him fcathlefs through the battle's ftorm. 

A fenfe of pardon guards each vital part, 

And forms the Breaftplate that defends his heart. 

For brazen Greaves, obedience he takes, 

Through thorny paths his onward progrefs makes. 

" Hope of Salvation" is his helmet fair 5 

Though oft perplexed, it faves him from defpair. 

He wields, and not in vain, a trufty fword, 

A right good blade it is, Jehovah's word 5 

The Spirit's weapon, 'twill each knot untie, 

Each foe difarm, and make Apollyon fly : 

O'er all the reft he grafps Faith's mighty fhiekl, 

And onward ru fries to the battle-field. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



2 7 



As foon as one enlifts himfelf as a foldier of 
Jefus Chrift, that moment the world becomes 
his enemy. It happens to him as it fell out to 
the Gibeonites ; when they made peace with 
Jofhua, the neighbouring nations were highly 
offended, and faid to one another, u Come, let 
us unite our forces that we may finite Gibeon, 
for it hath made peace with Jofhua and with the 
children of Ifrael." 

But there are other foes, more mighty and 
fearful, againft whom he has to contend. Satan, 
after 6000 years' practice in the art of deftroying 
fouls, is a powerful opponent. cc He goeth about 
as a roaring lion, feeking whom he may devour," 
for we wreftle not againft flefh and blood — 
merely — but " againft principalities, againft pow- 
ers, againft the rulers of the darknefs of the 
world, againft fpiritual wickednefs in high places." 
" Wherefore," on this account, " take unto you 
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to 
withftand in the evil day, and having done all, to 
ftand." 

There are two kinds of armour, offenfive and 
defenfive ; one to attack the foe, the other to 
protect ourfelves. It is remarkable, that but one 
weapon is mentioned by the Apoftle as belong- 
ing to the offenfive kind, viz., the fword \ all 
the reft are defenfive. Among the Grecian war- 
riors there were at leaft nine different weapons 
with which they affailed their enemies, yet the 
Apoftle thinks that for the Chriftian this is 
enough. 



28 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



The Captain of our falvation has provided us 
with all that is neceffary for the Chriftian war- 
fare. Is our head expofed to the affaults of the 
devil ? he has furnifhed us with a u helmet" to 
guard it ; this is called in another place, the 
hope of Salvation. This good hope prepares the 
foldier for the warfare, upholds him in it, and 
brings him off a conqueror. Is the heart liable 
to be pierced ? there is a breaftplate provided to 
proteft it, it is the breaftplate of Righteoufnefs ; 
this is a confcioufnefs not only of his own fin- 
cerity, but alfo of his favourable acceptance with 
God. He feels that he is honeft in his pro- 
feflion of attachment to the Saviour, and that 
Chrift, his Captain, acknowledges him for a true 
foldier. 

The feet being expofed to injuries, a pair of 
brafs boots are given to protect them. It would 
not have anfwered any good purpofe to protect 
the head, oftentimes, unlefs the feet likewife 
were provided for. If the feet were wounded, 
the foldier could not ftand to fight the foe, 
neither could he purfue him if conquered. The 
greaves fimply prompt obedience to the Captain's 
commands ; with this, rough places become as 
plain, and the crooked as ftraight. 

The girdle is given to keep the reft of the 
armour in its place, and to ftrengthen the loins. 
u Truth" accomplishes this for the Chriftian 
foldier. By this he difcovers who are his ene- 
mies, their mode of attack, and the beft way to 
refift them. A fhield alfo is provided ; it is called 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



2 9 



the Jhield of faith^ by which he is able to quench 
all the fiery darts of the evil one. Finally, a 
fword is put into his hands ; with this he is to 
inflift deadly wounds on all his foes ; it is called 
the Sword of the Spirit^ becaufe the word of God 
was infpired by the Holy Spirit. " Wherewithal 
fhall a young man cleanfe his way, but by taking 
heed thereto according to thy word ? " By the 
clear inftruftion, by the powerful motives, and 
by the glorious encouragement of the word of 
God, the Chriftian foldier puts all his foes to 
flight. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth u: 
life, and few there be that find it." — Matt. vii. 14. 



THE STRAIT AND NARROW GATE. 

The gate contracted, here is brought to view, 
And narrow path that runs directly through. 
One there is leen, who ftrives with all his might 
To pafs the gate that leads to heavenly light 5 
Strong drink, the deadly dram, is call away, 
And on his knees, devout, begins to pray.. 
Self-righteoulhefs to enter next proceeds, 
Alas for him ! how heavily he treads ! 
His weary back a monftrous burden bears 
Of legal deeds, and unavailing prayers. 
He cannot enter, for the gate is nnall, 
He muft unload him, or not pafs at all. 
Dives has fallen, gone quite oft the track, 
And on the wicket gate has turned his back. 
Another, heedleis of Jehovah's laws, 
Dreams he can enter with the world's applaufe : 
Honour and glory, pomp of things below, 
Can never through the ftraitened pafTage go. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



31 



Thus finners all — to fenfuai pleasures given — 
Remain excluded from the gate of Heaven. 

The firft object prefented in the group is, a 
reformed drunkard. See ! he has thrown away 
ftrong drinks ; he is determined to agonize — to 
enter in at the ftrait gate. Many tipplers feek to 
gain admiflion, but it will not do 5 over the gate 
is written in characters of living light, cc No 
drunkard lhall inherit the kingdom of God/' 

The next figure fhows a man profefTedly in 
the ftrait and narrow way, but he has fuch a 
large mafs, or bundle of felf-righteoufnefs on his 
back, it will be feen at the firft glance that it is 
impoffible for him to get through the gate or 
paflage. " All our righteoufneffes," which we 
may bring with us when feeking falvation, " are 
as filthy rags and the more we have of them, 
the more impoflible it will be for us to enter the 
ftrait gate. Man, in order to be faved, muft 
feel himfelf to be a finner ; he muft feel his 
poverty, and like the man feen in the engraving, 
muft get down on his knees, in order to enter 
into the gate of life. 

St. Paul, when a Pharifee, had a large load of 
felf-righteoufnefs, but when he became a Chrif- 
tian he difcarded it ; he defired to be found in 
Chrift, faying, " Not having mine own righteouf- 
nefs, which is of the law, but that which is 
through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufnefs 
which is of God by faith. " 

Partly in the background is one who has fallen 
from the narrow way. This reprefents a lover 



32 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

of money ; one who has committed " guilt's 
great blunder," and who is now a laughing-ftock 
for devils. They that will be rich fall into 
temptations and a fnare, which drown men in 
perdition. O that men were wife ! O that 
they would attend to the words of Chrift : " Ye 
cannot ferve God and mammon ; verily it is 
eafier for a camel to go through the eye of a 
needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom 
of God." 

The laft depicted is one who is carrying 
worldly honour and glory ; who fooliflily thinks 
he can love God and the world together. No 
man can ferve two mafters of oppofite intereft. 
" How," faid Jefus, " can ye be faved who feek 
honour one of another, and not the honour 
which cometh from God only." 

Perhaps it was on one of thofe beautiful even- 
ings of fur palling lovelinefs, feen only in the 
Holy Land, that the BlefTed Redeemer delivered 
his unexampled leffons of benevolence and wif- 
dom from the mount made facred by his prefence. 
Then Jefus opened his mouth and taught them, 
faying, " Enter ye in at the ftrait gate ; ftrait is 
the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto 
life, and few there be that find it." By which 
words the Saviour would have us to underftand 
the nature and requirements of Religion. Its 
nature — that it confifts in a change of heart. Its 
requirements — that we do juftly, love mercy, 
and walk humbly with the Lord. 

Hence, by the " ftrait gate " we may learn that 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



33 



compliance with the firft table of the Law is in- 
tended, viz. : Thou malt love the Lord thy God 
with all thy heart, with all thy foul, with all thy 
mind, and with all thy ftrength. By the " nar- 
row way," obedience to the demands of the 
fecond table is enjoined, viz. : Thou fhalt love 
thy neighbour as thyfelf ; or, as it is exprefled by 
the Saviour, more copioufly — u Therefore, all 
things whatfoever ye would that men mould do 
unto you, do ye even fo to them." As no man 
can love God, as required, without a change of 
heart, fo neither can any one — Do unto others 
as he would they mould do unto him — unlefs he 
firft love God, for u he that loveth not his brother 
abideth in death." 



34 




<£ Ye cannot ferve God and mammon." — Matt. vi. 24. " A 
double-minded man is unftable in all his ways." — James i. 8. 

DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS. 

See the profeflbr labouring, but in vain, 
The world and crofs together to fuftain ; 
The globe is in his right hand dexterous found, 
His left the crofs drags fluggifti on the ground ; 
In vain for him appears the narrow way, 
The world has led him from the path aftray : 
In vain for him mines forth the heavenly light, 
The world has rilen and obfcured his light 5 
Two minds he has, both he may call his own, 
Sometimes they lead him up, and fometimes down ; 
Like doubtful birds, that hop from fpray to fpray, 
His will is never at one certain ftay : 
Too late he learns, with deep regret and pain, 
He lofes both who more than one would gain. 

Here is feen a man ftaggering under two 
heavy burdens ; a globe, which reprefents the 
world, and a crofs, that reprefents the Chriftian 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



35 



religion. His knees totter and tremble beneath 
the cumbrous load. The crofs is the badge of 
his profeflion, which he holds, or rather drags 
along, with his left hand : this mows that religion 
is only a fecondary concern with him. 

In his right hand he carries the globe. The 
right hand being the moft dexterous, mows that 
the pra£tical part of his life is employed in fecur- 
ing the world, notwithstanding his profeflion. He 
has fucceeded fo well that the globe has got 
uppermoft. It monopolizes his attention, and 
controls his movements. It has turned his feet 
from the narrow way ; it has hid from his view 
the glorious light of the heavenly city. In going 
down hill, the crofs flips out of his left hand, he 
{tumbles over it, and falls ; the globe falls upon 
him, and grinds him to powder. 

This emblem needs but little illuftration. It 
mows the folly and end of a double-minded man. 
The fabled Atlas, who carried the world on his 
ftioulders, attempted nothing, accomplifhed no- 
thing, compared with the man who labours to 
fecure both this world and the next ; he has two 
fouls, or minds, which govern him by turns ; but in 
the end, the worldly principle prevails. His folly 
confifts in trying to do what is in itfelf absolutely 
impoflible — what no man ever did or ever can do. 
God himfelf has feparated the world from the 
crofs ; what God hath feparated, no man may 
bring together ; the nature of the gofpel forbids 
fuch union. Its influences, do£t.rines, precepts, 
objedts, tendencies, and final iflues are all op- 

D 2 



36 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



pofed, and contrary to the principles, maxims, 
practices, and interefts of this world. 

In the gofpel, provifion is made to renew the 
heart, and to enable man to fet his affections on 
things above, not on things on the earth. The 
crofs is as much as any man can carry, let him 
have as much grace as he will. If any doubt 
remains, Chrift the great Umpire of all difputed 
claims of this kind, has pronounced the decifion : 
4C No man can ferve two mafters " — u Ye cannot 
ferve God and mammon." 

The double-minded man is unftable in all his 
ways ; fometimes he is feen among the difciples 
of Chrift, then again he appears following the 
the courfe of this world. He takes no comfort 
in religion, and none in the world. Every thing 
connected with him is double ; a double curfe 
refts upon him wherever he goes. True Chrif- 
tians are afhamed of him ; the ungodly defpife 
him j he is a laughing-ftock for devils ; his own 
confcience reproaches him \ his own family up- 
braids him ; and a double puniftiment will be the 
portion of his cup for ever. 

The mad prophet Balaam is a remarkable 
inftance of double-mindednefs. In profeflion, he 
would be a prophet of Jehovah ; in practice, he 
followed and " loved the wages of unrighteouf- 
nefs." Defpifed by the people of God, to whom 
he was a ftumbling-block ; defpifed and re- 
proached by Balak for his indecifion, he died 
under the weight of a double curfe, and left his 
name a proverb of reproach and fhame. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



37 



u Choofe you this day whom ye will ferve." — Jos. 
xxiv. 15. 

" How long halt ye between two opinions ? If the 
Lord be God, follow him : but if Baal, then follow him." 
— 1 Kings xviii, 21. 

" I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot : 
I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, becaufe thou art 
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will ipue thee out 
of my mouth. " — Rev. iii. 15, 16. 



38 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS, 




w And the rain defcended, and the floods came, and beat upon 
that houfe, and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." — - 
Matt. vii. 25. 

THE HOUSE FOUNDED ON A ROCK. 

Lo \ on a rock, the wile man marks his plan, 
Its deep foundations clolely he would lean ; 
Though gentle zephyrs breathe through fummer Ikies, 
He knows that ftorms wide wafting may arife 5 
On folid bale his building riles fair, 
And points its turrets through the ambient air, 
With tranquil joy, his eyes delighted, greet 
The beauteous fabric furnilhed and complete 5 
In conlcious fafety makes it is abode. 
His duty done, he leaves the reft with God. 
But foon dark clouds o'erfpread the troubled Iky, 
And foon is heard the voice of tempeft high j 
Deep rolls the thunder, rains in torrents pour. 
And floods tumultuous beat with deafening roar. 
Floods, rain, nor thunder, nor rude tempefVs fhock, 
Can harm the houfe — 'tis founded on a Rock. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



39 



Not fo the fimpleton who built on fand, 
And wrought his labour with penurious hand ; 
'Midft howling tempefts and loud thunder's roar, 
His houfe — it vaniftVd, and was feen no more. 

A wise man, defiring to build a houfe for 
himfelf and family, fees many very pleafant and 
romantic lots : he is tempted to choofe a de- 
lightful fituation, but he remembers that the 
country is often vifited with violent ftorms, that 
hurricanes are frequent, and that the rivers fre- 
quently overflow their banks, and fweep away 
bridges, houfes, cattle, and inhabitants, altogether. 
This makes him cautious. He facrifices what 
is merely ornamental for what is ufeful and 
efTential. He fixes upon a rock for the fite of 
his manfion. He builds in fuch a manner that 
his houfe looks like a part of the rock itfelf, it 
is fo imbedded within its ftielvings. When all 
is fnug and complete, he enters his new dwelling, 
thankful that he has been enabled to finifti it. 
In a little while, one of thofe ftorms come on fo 
common to the country ; the rains defcend, the 
winds blow, the floods beat againft the houfe, 
but it ftands unmoved. All night the tempeft 
lafts ; at length morning comes ; the fon of 
wifdom opens the door and goes forth, like Noah 
when he left the ark after the waters of the deluge 
had abated. He looks around : all is defolation 
except his own houfe. At a little diftance from 
him he difcovers fome of the fragments of hid 
neighbour's houfe. The fooliftiman had ftudies 
only eafe and prefent convenience ; he chofe a 



4 o 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



fhowy place, but the foundation was fandy. 
The hurricane fwept them all away together. 

The houfe on the rock, and its builder, is an 
emblem of the man who hears the word of God 
and keeps it. He makes the word of God a 
ladder by which he climbs to heaven. Begin- 
ning at repentance, he goes on to faith in our 
Lord Jefus Chrift, then to holinefs ; thus he 
mounts from faith to faith, till finally he reaches 
glory. 

Obferve, it is not the perfon who hears, or 
underftands, or remembers, or believes, merely, 
the word of God ; but the Doer, that is, the 
prudent or wife man. He faftens on the Rock 
of Ages : Christ is his foundation, where, in 
obedience to the word, he has fled for refuge ; 
hence, he is protected againft all the ftorms of 
earth and hell. 

" To obey is better than facrifice, to hearken 
than the fat of rams." The word of God is 
compared to feed, which, if received in good 
ground, beareth much fruit. As the feed re- 
quires that the ground mould be prepared, 
watered, weeded, &c. ; so the word requires that 
it ftiould be received with attention and nourifhed 
by meditation, much prayer, and faith. No one 
can enter the kingdom of heaven unlefs he is a 
difciple of Chrift ; but he is not a difciple unlefs 
he bringeth forth much fruit. He, and he alone, 
that doeth the will of God mail abide for ever. 

A perfon having juft returned from church, 
was met with the following exclamation : "What, 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



41 



is it all done ? " " No, by no means," was the 
prompt reply. "It is all faid, but not all done." 

" For not the hearers of the law are juft before God, but 
the doers of the law shall be juftined. 1 *— Rom. ii. 13. 

" But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. . . 
... a doer of the work, this man mall be blened in his 
deed.'" — James i. 22, 25. 

" If ye know thefe things, happy are ye if ye do them. 11 
— John xiii. 17. 



42 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




u Seeft thou a man wife in his own conceit? There is more hope 
of a fool than of him." — Prov. xxvi. 12. 

SELF-CONFIDENCE. 

See how Self-confidence his friend doth treat, 

Nor heeds the danger from beneath his feet : 

With head erect, he proudly ftalks along, 

The warning voice is but an idle fong ; 

As to the precipice he draws more nigh, 

His friend yet louder lifts his voice on high, 

But deaf and blind, he neither fees nor hears, 

From friends or foes he nothing wants nor fears j 

He " knows, and that's enough — all right," when lo ! 

At once he falls into the gulf below : 

Adown the rocks he tumbles o'er and o'er, 

And finks in darknefs to arife no more. 

The engraving fhows a traveller in the 
greateft peril. He is on the brink of an awful 
precipice : he knows it not. But this is not the 
worft of his cafe : he is confident in his know- 
ledge, and that he is fully prepared for every 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



43 



emergency, although he has not examined any 
book of roads, or any charts, or maps, nor has he 
made inquiries of others who have travelled thefe 
parts before him. A friend is feen who en- 
deavours to apprize him of his danger ; he calls 
to him, but he turns a deaf ear to his remon- 
ftrances, and ftill proceeds. As he draws near 
the fatal brink, his friend, knowing his danger, 
exerts himfelf to the utmoft to have him flop — 
to liften — but for one moment ; but no, he has 
no need of advice — on he goes. The ground, 
which is hollow, gives way beneath his feet, he 
falls, and is inftantly darned to pieces. The 
name of the man is " Self-confidence." 

The moral of this is, that dangers ftand thick 
all through the path of human life ; dangers fuch 
as the luft of the flefh, the luft of the eye, and 
the pride of life, with their numerous attendants. 
Falfe doctrines alfo, the tendency of which is to 
deftroy the happinefs of mankind, prevail. They 
are covered with a flimfy garb, which deceives 
fuperficial obfervers. 

Moreover, youth is prefumptuous, felf-willed, 
and felf-confident. They are too much inclined 
to follow the light which their own vanity has 
kindled. But their felf-confidence does not 
remove the dangers from their path, nor render 
them invulnerable. But man is ignorant— how 
(hall he know ? Helplefs — what mall he do ? 
If any man lack wifdom, let him afk of God. 
" Do" ponder well the paths of thy feet. Lean 
not to thine own understanding. He that trufts 
to his own heart is a fool. In all thy ways 



44 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



acknowledge God ; he will direct thy paths. 
Here, then, is the conclufion of the whole 
matter ; imminent perils furround the youth, but 
the greateft of all perils is the danger of trufting 
to his own heart. Lean upon God, and all will 
be well. Though weak and ignorant, yet God 
is wife and ftrong, able to guide and preferve all 
thofe who truft in him. 

The mariner who mould put to fea without 
chart or compafs, trufting to his own knowledge, 
would, without doubt, on the firft ftormy night, 
repent heartily of his folly. O how much 
greater is the folly of thofe who, trufting to felf, 
neglecl: to ufe the lamp of God's truth, or to 
feek the enlightening influences of his Holy 
Spirit, or to follow the advice of the wife and 
good. 

The cafe of Pharaoh, the Egyptian monarch, 
affords a ftriking example of felf-confidence. 
When the children of Ifrael had left the houfe 
of bondage, and were well on their journey 
towards the land of promife, the king, confiding 
in his ftrength, exclaimed : " I will purfue, I 
will overtake," and prefumptuoufly fet forth for 
that purpofe. Each recently received plague 
remonftrated, and forbade the rafhnefs of the 
monarch ; but all in vain. On he rufhed, even 
to the divifion of waters. In his felf-confidence 
he engaged in battle with Jehovah, God of 
Armies. The conflict was of fhort duration ; 
the arm of the Lord prevailed ; Pharaoh and 
his men of war were fwept away with the waters 
of deftrudtion. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



45 




" Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." — 
Ps. cxix. 105. "The Lord God is a fun and ^hield. ,, — 
P?. lxxxiv. 11. 

THE SUN OF TRUTH. 
Lo ! on a path that through the mountains fweeps, 
And climbs their fummits, and defcends their deeps, 
The Sun pours wide his bright diffufive rays,. 
And mows two travellers on their different ways ; 
His made behind, his pathway always bright, 
One travels forward with in creating light, 
Till equatorial o'er his head it burns, 
And all of fhadow into day it turns ; 
The other turns upon the iun his back, 
His lengthening fhadow darkens all his track. 
Which now not feen, he turns him from the right, 
And ends his journey in the realms of night. 

See where, among the mountain heights, a 
long, ftraight path ftretches itfelf till it is loft in 
the diftance beyond. The fun pours wide his 
rays of living light, illuminating the path, and 
(hedding luftre all around. Two travellers are 



46 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



purfuing their different routes. One advances 
toward the fun ; his fhadow is behind, his path is 
bright before him. As he proceeds, his fhadow 
diminifhes, while his path grows brighter and 
brighter, until dire£tly over head the fun pours 
the full tide of its glory upon him, and the whole 
of the fhadow disappears. 

The other has turned his back upon the orb of 
day. See, he follows his own fhadow. It 
darkens his pathway before him. Now he leaves 
the track ; his fhadow lengthens more and more ; 
he wanders into funken labyrinths, and finally 
lofes himfelf amidfl the darknefs of night. 

This emblem reprefents the moral world. The 
fun defignates the Sun of Truth. The travellers 
denote, firft, thofe who follow the light : their 
path fhines brighter and brighter unto the perfect 
day y their fouls become enlightened, vivified, 
and purified \ darknefs difappears, and heavenly 
light fhines on their fouls for ever. Secondly, it 
fignifies thofe who turn their backs on the light, 
and who, as they journey, wander farther and 
farther from his bright beams ; their path becomes 
darker and darker ; their fhadow lengthens as 
they proceed, until, having forfaken altogether 
the way of truth, they lofe themfelves among the 
wilds of error, and perifh in the darknefs of ever- 
lafting night. 

Where fhines the Sun of Truth ? In the holy 
Bible. The Scriptures are a " light " to the 
weary traveller, illuminating all his goings, point- 
ing out his proper path, and mowing where the 
mountains of error lift up their defolating heads. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



47 



This Sun of Truth mines on the traveller him- 
felf. It difcovers his ignorance, guilt, danger, 
helplefihefs, and, at the fame time, his immor- 
tality. Again it mines, and he beholds Calvary, 
with all its weeping tragedies. It reveals to him 
now his " wifdom, juftification, sanctification, 
and redemption." Where mines the Sun of 
Truth ? In the perfon of Jefus Chrift. He 
who wifely ufes the light of the Scriptures will 
be led to contemplate Him who is the " Light of 
the world," " the Sun of Righteoufnefs," " the 
Splendid Glory of Jehovah," the Way, the Life, 
and the Truth" 

The Chriftian, following the light of the glo- 
rious Sun of Truth, difcovers ever-opening mines 
of richeft knowledge. Fountains of living waters 
roll their treafures at his feet. Trees of Life 
overhang his pathway, and drop into his lap their 
golden ftores, till at length he beholds the opening 
gates of the New Jerusalem, 

Where Light and Truth their mystic powers combine, 
And o'er the realms of Love for ever mine. 

The infidel, turning his back upon the light, 
walks in the vain fhadow of his own opinions. 
Darker, and yet more dark, the madow grows •> 
he waxes worfe and worfe ; one truth after 
another is given up — one lie after another is 
embraced ; farther and farther he wanders from 
God and blifs, and finally he takes his fearful 
" leap in the dark," and finds himfelf, contrary to 
his expectations, in outer darknefs, where there is 
weeping, and wailing, and woe. 



" Unto the upright there arifeth light in the darknefs. " — Ps. cxii. 
4. " Yea, though I walk through the valley of the fhadow of 
death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." — Ps. xxiii. 4. 

LIGHT IN DARKNESS. 

Lo ! where a Chriftian walks in darkeft gloom, 
As though enclofed in fome monaftic tomb ; 
And clouds of darkeft night furround his head ; 
A Pall, like that which canopies the dead ; 
His path lies through the palpable obfcure, 
Nor can he yet difcern an open door ; 
Yet he's refolved to penetrate his way, 
Nor doubts but darknefs will be turned to day : 
To Chrift he prays, the light of mortals here $ 
And Chrift, the light of mortals, mines out clear, 
Full on his path, pours down the heavenly light, 
And on he goes, with vigour and delight. 

The engraving reprefents a Chriftian walking 
through a dark and madowy vale, wherein is no 
light ; the mantle of darknefs encircles him, the 
pall of the grave has enfolded itfelf around him. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



49 



Neverthelefs, his path runs directly through it ; 
he knows not what dangers may lie in the midft ; 
he knows not when or where the end may be. 
No chink, outlet, or open door prefents itfelf to 
him, yet he is determined to perfevere ; it is the 
path of duty. 

Addreffing himfelf to his work, he addreffes 
himfelf alfo to his Mafter ; he calls on Chrift, 
whofe he is, and whom he feryes ; the Saviour 
mows his bright and glorious countenance ; the 
light of his glory falls full upon the traveller ; 
the reflection irradiates his pathway; all is light. 
He goes on his way rejoicing in the Lord. 

Every Chriftian muft at times pafs through the 
valley of tribulation. Mental anxiety, ficknefs, 
lofs of friends, poverty, perfecution, death, with 
many other things, make the materials of the 
valley of tribulation. The blefled Saviour has 
laid that all who live godly muft pafs through this 
valley. And again, Through much tribulation ye 
muft enter into the kingdom of God. And 
John the beloved, looking with wonder at the 
glory of fome who were feen before the throne of 
God, was informed by the angel that they were 
thofe who had come out of great tribulation. 

But Chrift is the light of the world, the Sun of 
Righteoufnefs, the fource from which all intellec- 
tual and fpiritual light is derived. Wherefore God 
our heavenly Father fays to us, u Awake, thou 
that fleepeft ; arife from the dead, thou that 
dwelleft among the tombs, and Chrift fhall give 
thee light." But to the Chriftian, paffing through 

E 



So 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



the dark valley of trouble, he fays, C( Arife, fhine, 
thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is 
rifen on thee." To the difciple of Jefus this light 
indeed belongs, and much he needs it in his 
pilgrimage. To him it is given by promife, To 
the upright there arifeth light in darknefs ; light 
is town for the righteous, and gladnefs for the 
upright in heart. The light of knowledge, the 
light of confolation, the light of holinefs, and the 
light of eternal glory r are the Chriftian's inherit- 
ance, in and through Chrift Jefus. Without 
Chrift all is darknefs, wretchednefs, and death* 
With Him all is Light, Life, Love, and Peace. 

Stephen was a good man, yet he had to pafs 
through the valley of tribulation. Perhaps he 
was more highly favoured than any other man in 
fimilar circumftances > probably this was on 
account of his being the firft Chriftian martyr — 
the model for all fucceeding martyrs. He looked 
up through the clouds of perfecution that fur- 
rounded him, and faw " the glory of God and 
Jefus i" he could not keep filent ; "Behold," 
he cried, " I fee the heavens opened, and the 
Son of Man ftanding at the right hand of God." 
The glorious light flione in him, and through 
him, and around him ; he looked as an angel of 
the Lord, 

In darkeft fhades, if He appear^ 

My dawning is begun ! 
He is my foul's fweet morning ftar, 

And he my rifmg fun, 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



51 



The opening heavens around me mine 

With beams of facred blifs, 
While Jems fhows his heart is mine, 

And whifpers, I am his ! 

My foui would leave this heavy clay, 

At that tranfporting word, 
Run up with joy the mining way, 

To embrace my dearer! Lord. Watts, 



E 2 




" He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who ihall gather 
them." — Ps. xxxix. 6. " A rich man ihall hardly enter into 
the kingdom of heaven." — Matt. xix. 23, 

THE WORLDLING. 

Lo ! where the worldling, with his gathering rake, 
Performs his tafk, the glittering duft to take ; 
Devoted man ! with many cares opprefTed, 
Gold he collects, to eafe his aching breaft. 
The fool's infignia he moft truly bears, 
He but increafes what he moftly fears : 
As dropfied patients, who with thirft are faint, 
Drink and are dry, and ftrengthen their complaint. 
While in this grovelling, melancholy plight, 
Religion comes, a melTenger of light ; 
Mercy's bleft Angel has from heaven come down, 
She meets the worldling and prefents her crown 5 
" Behold," me cries, the diadem I bear, 
Enriched with gems fuch as bright Angels wear, 
Yield then to me, firft lay thy muck-rake down, 
Bear thy brow upward, and receive my crown." 
The worldling, ftupid, toils and rakes away ; 
Still looking down, he rakes from day to day j 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



53 



Himfelf his foe he lives, and greatly poor ; 
And dies remembered as a fool — no more. 

The engraving reprefents a man hard at work; 
he holds a rake in his hand, with which he ga- 
thers duft and rubbifh together. The yellow 
fhining duft is called gold ; he is altogether ab- 
forbed, loft, as it were, in his employment. He 
kneels down to his work; this fhows his de- 
votion to the object of his affections. For this 
grovelling work he has forfaken all intellectual 
and religious pleafures ; all focial and domeftic 
happinefs. He is a poor man, although he has 
a great deal of that hard fhining duft you fee 
lying there ; he is craving after more ; he is in 
want, therefore he is poor ; he is a mifer, there- 
fore he is miferable. The poor man is alto- 
gether befide himfelf. 

The bright lovely one bearing a ftarry crown 
is Religion, daughter of the fkies ; (he has many 
attendants, who are concealed at prefent ; me 
has come a long way to meet the poor man ; me 
looks upon him with compaffion ; fhe fees his 
miferable condition, fhe knows his great folly. 
Addreffing him, lie fays : u Poor foul, why 
labour you for the duft which perimeth ? Why 
do you fpend your ftrength for nought ? Hearken 
unto me and I will give you riches, more abun- 
dantly than earth can give, and lafting as eternity. 
Look up, poor man, behold this crown, beautiful 
and glorious ; it contains the riches of a million 
of fuch worlds as this, and the happinefs of ages 
upon ages ; throw by your rake, and be happy. " 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Worldling, for that is the name of the infatuated 
mortal, takes no notice whatever. He ftill con- 
tinues at his tafk ; there is no voice nor any that 
regard ; and Religion, after waiting a long time, 
departs and leaves him to his folly. 

They that will be rich — though by means 
ever fo fair — fall into temptation and a fnare, 
which drown men in perdition. Youth, beware ! 
when men negle£t to employ the talent of wealth 
according to the will of God, he gives them up 
to the love of it, and they become fools, intoxi- 
cated with the alcohol of mammon. The world- 
ling lives in the world as though he was never to 
quit it. Bound for eternity, he makes no prepa- 
ration for the voyage — going to the Judgment, 
and before a holy God— and continues unrepent- 
ant and polluted. He is treafuring up, what ? — 
gold j what elfe ? wrath againft the day of wrath. 
The love of money, an evil difeafe, has taken 
hold upon him ; the more he adds, the more he 
feeds the difeafe j like perfons with the dropfy, 
who drink and are ftill dry. When Garrick, the 
actor, ftiowed Dr. Johnfcn an eftate he had 
lately purchafed, Johnfon remarked : cc Ah ! it is 
thefe things that make death dreadful." But the 
love of money makes life miferable. The Ro- 
man citizen, Apicius, after fpending fome 800,000 
pounds, and finding he was worth only about 
83,000, fearing want, ended his life by poifon. 

But the worldling heapeth up riches, and 
knows not who will gather them. Cupidus, 
with great labour, accumulated a great eftate, 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



55 



and dying, left his wealth to his two fons, Stui- 
tus and ErTufio. Stultus had in a little time to 
be placed under guardians, who fpent his money 
for their own pleafures. EfFufio fquandered his 
patrimony in riotous living, and died in a lunatic 
afylum. 




l ' If any man will come after me, let him deny himfelf, and take 
up his crofs and follow me." — Matt. xvi. 24. 

THE CROSS-BEARER. 
Dear reader, o'er this facred emblem paufe, 
And view the Chriftian bearing up his crofs $ 
Nor fteep afcent, nor roughnefs of the way, 
E'er makes him halt, or turns his feet aftray : 
Should he in weaknefs think to lay it down, 
His ftrength increafes when he fees the crown 5 
His foul enkindles at the glorious fight, 
His yoke's more eafy, and his crofs more light. 
The Crofs all hallowed, is the Chriftian's boaft — 
His watchword, fighting at his arduous poll — 
His true infignia as he glides along, 
Confpicuous, through the pleafure-Wing throng 5 
His royal paffport, fanctioned by the fkies, 
By which he triumphs, and fecures the prize. 

Behold here the Chriftian bearing up man- 
fully under his crofs. It is a glorious fight. 
You fee him going with his crofs up the difficult 
mountain pafTes, as well as along the fmooth and 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



57 



flowery plain. View the crown ! It is feen in 
the diftance. Sometimes the clouds gather a- 
round it ; in general, however, to the crofs-bearer 
the fky is clear ; he can difcover the crown glit- 
tering in its beauty. 

The young Chriftian will know what this 
means fpiritually. It is not of the Saviour's crofs 
but of the Chriftian's own proper crofs, that we 
now fpeak. What is it to bear the crofs ? To 
bear the crofs always, is to do right always. It 
is no lefs than to fulfil the high commands of the 
Saviour, under all circumftances. It is to deny, 
control, and conquer felf. It is to watch, pray, 
and by divine meditation, have conftant hold 
upon Chrift. It is to glorify God before men 
by a holy walk and converfation ; forgiving 
enemies, loving all men, aiming to do them good 
bodily and fpiritually — in a word, it is to follow 
Chrift as far as the difciple can follow his Lord, 
in piety toward God, in benevolence toward 
man. When Peter exclaimed, c c I know not 
the man/' he laid down his crofs. When Paul 
declared, " I am ready, not to be bound only, 
but alfo to die at Jerusalem for the name of the 
Lord Jefus," he expreffed his willingnefs to 
take up his crofs, and his delight therein. 

The Chriftian's proper work is to bear the 
crofs, This is his calling, his trade, or profeflion, 
It is the bufinefs of a watchmaker to make 
watches ; it is the bufinefs of the Chriftian to 
bear the crofs as above, at home, abroad, in the 
(hop, in the ftore, in the market place, or in the 



58 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



field. By reafon of corruption within, of oppofi- 
tion without, of the malice of the wicked one, 
the burden is fometimes a heavy one, but 
ftrength will increafe by practice. He has many 
difcouragements, many folicitations to lay it afide. 
It fometimes preffes heavily upon him, but the fight 
of the crown infpires him with frem vigour^ he 
glows, and bounds along the heavenly road. By 
the crofs, i. e., by his conduit, the Chriftian is 
diftinguifhed from the lover of the world. While 
he bears the crofs, the crofs will bear him. It 
will guide him through labyrinths of darknefs. 
As a ftiield, it will protect him in dangerous 
conflicts. 

Among the Romans, criminals about to be 
crucified were compelled to bear their own crofs 
to the place of execution ; but the Chriftian bears 
his to the place of triumph. If it mould prove 
at any time fo heavy as to crufli him down to 
death, as did Stephen's, like him he beholds the 
heavens opened, the King in his beauty, and the 
crown of celeftial glory. He comes off more 
than a conqueror. 

* c O may I triumph fo, when all my conflict's pari:, 
And dying, rind my lateft foe under my feet at lad." 



Who fuffer with our Mailer here, 
We mall before his face appear, 

And by his fide fit down ; 
To patient faith the prize is fure 5 
And all that to the end endure 

The crofs, mail wear the crown. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

In hope of that ecftatic paufe, 
Jefus, we now fullain the crofs, 

And at thy footftool fall 5 
Till thou our hidden life reveal, 
Till thou our raviftVd fpirits fill, 

And God is All in AIL 



6o 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




The pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the 
world. The world pafTeth away, and the luft thereof." — John 
ii. 1 6. "Man being in honour abideth not: he is like the 
beafts that perinV — Ps. xlix. 12. 



WORLDLY HONOUR. 

Lo ! here are honours floating in the breeze, 

That wafts them changeful o'er the land and feas : 

The air-inflated bubbles pafs along, 

Attract the gaze, and fafcinate the throng 5 

Away they go, purfuing and purfued, 

O 'erleap all bounds, the legal and the good ; 

Through fields of fire, and feas of blood and woe, 

Through broken hearts, and blafted hopes they go. 

On others' carcafs, fee ! they ftrive to rife, 

And grafp the phantom that before them flies 5 

In blood-red garb the butchering knife one bears, 

Nor friend, nor foe, if in his way, he fpares. 

All this for what ? For what this vafl: outlay ? 

This fum infinite, fquandered every day ? 

Of thofe thus fooPd, fome anfwer in defpair, 

" We clafp'd the phantoms, and we found them air." 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



61 



Not fo the honours that from God defcend, 
Subftantial, pure, and lairing without end. 

This emblem is a reprefentation of the vain 
purfuits of mankind. Honours, titles, and fame, 
are borne upon the wings of the wind, which is 
ever changing, as are the fources from whence 
worldly honours are derived. Numbers are feen 
preffing after them with all their mind and 
ftrength, and in their hafte to poffefs them, they 
facrifice all that is good and holy, all that is 
benevolent and divine. 

One, with his tongue, afTails the character of 
the pious and the wife ; another, with his pen 
dipped in gall, attacks the reputation of a fuf- 
pecfted rival ; others, as feen in the emblem, hew 
down with the fword thofe who ftand in their 
path, and, trampling on the bleeding body of the 
victim, ftrive to obtain the object: of their 
defire ; while the fhrieks of the wounded, the 
groans of the dying, the tears of the widow, and 
the fobs of orphans, feem only to add wings to 
the fpeed of ambition. 

It often cofts them much to enable them to 
accomplifh their ends. They expend peace of 
confcience, eafe, and often life itfelf. Nay, the 
fouPs falvation — the favour of God, eternal life, 
immortality in heaven, are exchanged for this 
empty nothing. The peace and happinefs of 
others, of millions, with their lives, fortunes, and 
deftinies, are thrown away for the fame worth- 
lefs objects. 

Perhaps the reader will fay, " Surely, a thing 



62 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



that colls fo much muft be valuable ? " True 
wifdom condemns fuch things as valuelefs, and 
true wifdom is juftified of all her children. The 
little boy who left his fatchel and his fchool to 
run after the rainbow, expecting to catch it, was 
a philofopher compared to the idiots in the 
pifture. 

Alexander, called the u Great," bought the 
title of cc Son of Jupiter" for the confideration of 
many lives of his followers, and enduring much 
fatigue while palling through burning and diftant 
climes. After conquering mighty kings and 
warriors, he attained the pinnacle of honour and 
fame, and adding to his own dominions the reft 
of the earth, he became mailer of the world, and 

then he wept, becaufe there were no more 

worlds to conquer; and, at the age of thirty-two, 
died in a drunken fit, and was laid in a drunkard's 
grave. He left his extenlive empire a legacy of 
defolation to mankind. 

How different the honours which come from 
above ! The Almighty Saviour, Jefus, hath af- 
cended up on high ; he hath received gifts for men 
— honours, titles, fame— in abundance. The 
faints, who are the excellent of the earth, God 
delighteth to honour. Angels are their body-guard ; 
the Saviour is their friend. He confers on 
them the title of " Sons of God," of " Kings and 
Priells," who shall poflefs a kingdom that lhall 
endure forever. Their fame is immortal : the 
righteous lhall be had in everlalling remembrance. 

The honours of earth come from inconllant 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



63 



mortals ; the honours which are fpiritual flow 
from the unchangeable Jehovah. The honours 
of earth are fought by trampling on the rights of 
others \ the honours of God are fought by the 
increafe of human happinefs. Earthly honours 
are unfatiffactory when obtained ; the honours of 
God fill the foul with blifs. Earthly honours are 
tranfitory, like the fource from whence they 
fpring ; the honours of heaven are abiding like 
their Divine Author* 



64 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




* : For I am in a ftrait betwixt two, having a defire to depart, and 
to be with Chrirr. j which is far better." — Phil. i. 2.3. 

HEAVENLY DESIRE. 

Behold the Chriftian where he doubtful Hands, 
Faft bound to Friends by blooming rofeate bands 5 
He feels the touch of love on earth below, 
And yet to heaven ftraightway would gladly go j 
For them, more needful longer here to ftay, 
For him, far better thus to foar away 5 

As when fafe anchored in fome foreign bay, 
The fhip of merchandize may proudly lay 5 
The Captain's cleared, with paffport, to fet fail, 
He longs for home, and courts the coming gale. 
The general interefts of the firm demand 
His longer fervice in that far-ofF land 5 
He fain would weigh, and homeward point his prow, 
Yet to his duty would mbmifTive bow j 
This done, he'll trip, and loofe the flowing fail, 
And homeward feud before the founding gale. 

The engraving reprefents an affectionate 
Father who, though {landing on the world, and 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



65 



bound with the ftrong cords of affe£tion, yet 
looks upward evidently longing to depart and be 
with Chrift, which, as the Apoftle fays, is far 
better. Though he may feel this, yet often times 
he feels ftrongly bound with the cords of love to 
remain with the objects of his affection here on 
the earth, to whom his ftay at prefent feems 
needful. He, however, does not confider this 
world as his abiding-place ; he has it beneath his 
feet, he is looking upward, and waiting for his 
tranflation to one above. 

Thus the Chriftian ftands ready prepared, and 
longs to depart and be with Chrift ; but the 
interefts of earth exercife an influence over him 
and bind him down with the golden bands of 
affectionate love. When a finner becomes a 
faint, his relations become changed, " old things 
have paffed away. Behold all things have be- 
come new." A " new heart" is given, filled 
with love to God and man. A new world is 
prefented full of glorious realities, fubftantial and 
eternal. A new God is given, Jehovah is His 
name. He formerly worfhipped the gods of this 
world. A new Saviour is embraced, who is the 
u altogether lovely." New companions, the 
nobleft, the wifeft, and the beft. He is the fub- 
jecT: of another King, one Jefus, — the citizen of 
another city which is out of fight, whole Builder 
and Maker is God, — the heir of an inheritance, 
which is incorruptible, undefiled, and which 
fadeth not away. 

No wonder, then, if he mould often times de- 
F 



66 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



fire to depart in order to poffefs all this happinefs. 
W andering on earth, " here he has no abiding 
city;" a ftranger and pilgrim as all his fathers were. 
Nevetthelefs, he has interefts, affections, and 
duties of an earthly kind ; thefe have a weighty 
claim upon him ; they are connected with God 
and eternity. The religion of the Bible, while 
it ftrengthens the powers of the intellect, and 
fan£Hfies the foul, does alfo increafe the power of 
natural affection, and makes us capable of the 
moft lively emotions. 

The true minifter of the Gofpel, like the great 
Apoftle, would cheerfully lay down his work and 
away to Jefus, but the interefts of his Mafter de- 
mand that he mould ftay, and build up the wafte 
places of Jerufalem ; therefore he fays, " All the 
days of my appointed time will I wait till my 
change come." 

The pious parent, when vifited by ficknefs, 
would fain regard it as a call to heaven, but the 
dear pledges of love are weeping round the bed- 
fide, and their youthful ftate demands a faithful 
guardian. He can only fay, " I am in a ftrait 
betwixt two, having a defire to depart and be 
with Chrift, which is far better. Neverthelefs, 
to abide in the flefti is more needful for you ; the 
will of the Lord be done." 

" How happy is the pilgrim's lot ! 
How free from every grovelling thought, 

From worldly hope and fear ! 
Confined to neither court nor cell, 
His foul difdains on earth to dwell, 

He only fojourns here. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 6j 

" Nothing on earth I call my own : 
A ftranger to the world, unknown, 

I all their wealth defpife ; 
I trample on their whole delight, 
And feek a country out of fight, 

A country in the fkies." Wesley. 



F 2 



68 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 





"Efcape for thy life." — Gen. xix. 17. ' 

world." — Ephes. ii. 2. 



The courfe of this 



THE FATAL CURRENT. 
See ! where the fatal current, broad and deep, 
Rolls its fwift waters down the awful fteep ; 
While from below the fteaming clouds arife, 
And fpiead and mingle with the diftant ikies ; 
Two men, behold ! near the tremendous verge, 
A moment finks them 'neath the boiling furge, 
One rows for life, he pulls with all his ftrength, 
And from the danger well efcapes at length : 
The other ftops, lays in his oars to drink, 
While nearer drawing to the dreadful brink ; 
His jeers and taunts he ftill perlifts to throw, 
And finks unaided down the gulf below. 

The engraving (hows the fatal current hurry- 
ing on its rolling waters to the dread abyfs ; 
fee where the boiling catara£t fends forth its 
cloudy vapours; like volumes of thick ftnoke 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



69 



they rife and mingle wirh the furrounding atmo- 
fphere. On the ftream, and near the fatal gulf, 
two men are feen in their frail barks. The one 
on the left hand, knowing his danger, pulls 
with all his might. Life is at flake ; he ftems 
the current. By dint of mighty, perfevering 
effort, he efcapes the vortex, and gets beyond 
the reach of danger. 

The one on the right, carelefs and uncon- 
cerned, fuffers his little boat to glide down the 
ftream ; he dreams not of danger. See ! he has 
laid in his oars, he is drowning thought by drink- 
ing the intoxicating draught. He points the 
finger of fcorn at his more thoughtful and labo- 
rious companion. Notwithftanding his unconcern, 
the ftream bears him onward ; nearer and nearer 
he draws toward the awful brink ; on,; and on 
he drifts, till all at once, over he goes ; and finks 
into the roaring, boiling gulf below. 

The above is an emblem of what follows : 
The gulf, with its rifing curling vapours, may 
reprefent the regions of the damned, where the 
fmoke of their torment afcendeth up for ever and 
ever. 

The fatal current fignifies the " courfe of this 
world " leading thereinto — the ftreams of fin 
that eventually lead to the gates of death. The 
man on the left, rowing againft tide, reprefents 
thofe who ftem the torrents of fin, who oppofe 
themfelves to the courfe of this world, " no 
longer fulfilling the lufts of the flefh, nor of the 
mind." Eternal life is at ftake ; they agonize 



70 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



that they may prevail ; they endure to the end, 
and are faved. 

The other, on the right, reprefents one who is 
indifferent about falvation, who indulges in fin and 
folly, and who even ridicules others who are 
ftriving to ferve God. He endeavours to drown 
his conference by drinking larger draughts of fin, 
and by plunging deeper into crime ; till, carried 
onward by the ruling powers of evil, he ap- 
proaches the horrible gulf, into which he falls, 
and is loft for ever. 

Dead fifti may frequently be feen floating down 
with the tide. The live fifh alone ftem the tor- 
rent, and fwim againft the ftream. So thofe 
dead in trefpafles and in fins, follow the courfe of 
this world ; they are borne unrefiftingly down 
the fatal ftream. But thofe who are alive fpiri- 
tually, thofe whom God hath quickened, oppofe 
the torrent, make headway againft it, and, by 
divine affiftance, work out their own falvation, 
full, and for ever. 

The patriarch Noah had, in his day, to fwim 
againft the ftream. The floodgates of fin were 
opened ; the turgid waters rolled down with 
fearful violence ; truth and juftice were well 
nigh fwept from the face of the earth. Manfully 
did he refift the defcending torrent. Like a rock, 
he remained immoveable, and oppofed the over- 
flowings of ungodlinefs. He was preferved. 

God himfelf bore teftimony to his righteouf- 
nefs. He was crowned with Divine approbation, 
and permitted to fee the Bow of Promife. At 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



7 1 



the fame time, the multitude, negle£ling to ftem 
the tide, were borne away by the waves thereof 
" down to the gulf of black defpair." 

When wildly on rolls fin's broad tide, 

To caverns of deipair, 
May I be found on virtue's fide, 

And meet it without fear. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" Let not the water-flood overflow me, neither let the deep 
fwallow me up." — Ps. lxix. 15. "He fent from above, he 
took me, he drew me out of many waters." — Ps. xviii. 16. 

SALVATION BY FAITH. 

The pkafures of a fummei^s day prevail, 

And tempt the youth to hoift the flowing fail : 

The river, placid, rolls its waves along, 

He glides exulting, like the notes of fong 5 

But foon a cloud, dark, brooding, mounts on high, 

A tempeft threatens, foon it fills the fky, 

He ftrikes his fail, and plies the lab'ring oar, 

If haply he may reach the wifhed-for more : 

Now booming thunders make the folid ground, 

And angry lightnings fitful flame around : 

The rains, defcending, now begin to lave, 

The winds come dancing o'er the rippling wave, 

The ftream ftill bears him from the diftant fhore, 

Appalled he hears the catara6Vs dreadful roar, — 

To ftay on board is death — he leaps. The wave 

Still bears him onward to the yawning grave =. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



73 



Juft as he reaches the terrific brink, 
O'er which, if plunged, he muft for ever fink, 
The king from his fair palace haftens down — 
A king who wears far more than regal crown — 
He faw his plight, nor feared the thunders'' roar, 
He threw the rope and drew him fafe on more 



A young man, tempted by the delightful ftill- 
nefs of a fummer's day, launches his little boat, 
and fpreads his fail. The light winds fpring up, 
and bear him fome diftance from the land ; but 
he regards it not. The fcenery is lovely ; the 
banks of the river are clad in the beautiful robes 
of the feafon : all confpire to make him enjoy 
his fail. But his pleafure is fhort-lived ; a ftorm 
arifes — he ftrikes fail, and attempts to make the 
more by rowing, but he cannot fucceed. The 
eddying winds keep him in the middle of the 
ftream ; he drifts down to the place where there 
is a tremendous cataract ; he hears the dreadful 
roaring thereof ; his heart finks within him. 
What mail he do ? To ftay in the boat is death } 
he cannot fwim if he leaps out, yet he thinks it is 
the beft courfe. He jumps overboard ; frill he 
continues to drift toward the awful gulf. But 
juft as he is going over, one comes to the refcue. 
The king, who had been watching him from his 
palace on the hill, haftens through the pelting 
ftorm down to the river-fide, and throwing him 
a rope, draws him fafe to land. 

This emblem fets forth the glorious doctrine 
of Salvation by Faith. The drowning man 
reprefents the finner in his fins. The fearful 



74 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



tempeft, the anguifti of his foul, occafioned by 
the terrors of God's violated Law. The forfaken 
boat, his felf-righteoufnefs. The King who flies 
to his help, the Lord Jefus Chrift. Laying hold 
of the rope, Faith. His arrival on ftiore, Salva- 
tion. And as the individual refcued would moft 
affuredly afcribe the merit of his deliverance to 
the prince upon the bank, and by no means to 
himfelf for feizing the rope, fo every finner faved 
by Faith will, defpifing felf, give the glory of his 
falvation to Chrift. As the rope connected the 
man dying in the waters with the man living on 
the land, fo Faith unites the finner to Chrift. 
The power or ability to believe is the gift of God, 
but man is refponfible for the ufe of the power. 
He muji lay hold of the rope, God does not 
repent for man, neither does He believe for him, 
yet man has nothing whereof to glory. By 
grace he is faved through Faith, and that not of 
himfelf. God worketh in him both to will and 
to do. 

'^With pitying eyes the Prince of Peace 
Beheld our helplefs grief $ 
He faw, and oh, amazing love ! 
He ran to our relief. 

" Down from the mining feats above, 
With joyful hafte he fled, 
Enter'd the grave in mortal flefh, 
And dwelt among the dead. 

" Oh, for this love, let rocks and hills 
. Their lafting filence break, 
And all harmonious human tongues 
The Saviour's praifes fpeak. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



" Angels, aflift our mighty joys, 
Strike loud your harps of gold ; 
But when you raife your higheft notes, 
His love can ne'er be told." 



7 6 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" Be not children in underltanding." — I Cor. xiv. 20. 

SIMPLICITY, OR WANT OF UNDER- 
STANDING. 

Deep in a meadow of rich verdure green, 
A fimple child of beauteous form is feen ; 
Pleafed with the ferpent's fafcinating charms, 
She fondly takes it to her circling arms ; 
Nor of the brilliant fnake thinks aught of fear, 
Though death among its charms lies lurking there. 
But when the cricket's harmlefs form appears, 
She's much affrighted, and burfts forth in tears 5 
Although its merry chirp no dangers bring, 
Nor in its homely fhape e'er wears a fling. 
Juft fo the youth, deceived by beauty's form, 
Nor knows that rofes always bear a thorn. 
Choofe then for mates alone the good and wife, 
And learn the homely never to defpife. 

The engraving fhows a little child, all alone in 
a field. In its fimplicity it fondles a deadly 
ferpent; attracted by its brilliant and fhining 
colours, the artlefs child takes hold of it without 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



77 



fear. She is about to take it to her bofom, when 
the cricket's merry chirp is heard ; me is ftartled. 
In a moment the lively infect, with one fpring, 
ftands before her. Now fhe cries out for fear ; 
fhe is greatly terrified. Thus, in her Simplicity, 
me courts death, and embraces it ; while fhe is 
frightened at homelinefs, accompanied by inno- 
cence and fong. 

This is an emblem of the young and inex- 
perienced. The term fimple, or fimplicity, has a 
twofold meaning in Scripture. There are the 
" fimple " whom "the Lord preferveth," and the 
" fimple " who " pafs on and are punifhed." In 
the firft inftance it fignifies fincerity, innocence ; 
in the fecond, folly, or want of underftanding. 
It may therefore be applied to the young and 
the inconfiderate of all ages, who, for want of 
knowledge and experience, a£t without con- 
sidering the confequences of their actions. 

The youth knows not how to judge of objects 
that prefent themfelves before him. Inex- 
perienced, he knows not how to choofe aright. 
He is in conftant danger of putting evil for good, 
and good for evil ; bitter for fweet, and fweet for 
bitter. Hence, he needs the inftru£iion of 
God's Holy Word to enable him to difcern the 
things that are excellent; to prove all things, and 
hold faft that which is good. Above all, he 
needs the enlightening influences of the Holy 
Spirit to " give him underftanding," and guide 
him into all truth. 

This want of underftanding, moreover, dif- 



78 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

plays itfelf in the wrong choice that is often 
made of companions ; while the homely perfon, 
who may have much of wifdom and goodnefs, is 
rejected, the accomplimed villain is fele£ted as a 
bofom friend. The youth, deceived by his fliowy 
exterior and fmooth tongue, unbofoms himfelf to 
him without referve. The villain laughs at his 
fimplicity, betrays his confidence, and leads him 
into ruin irreparable. 

Hence, how neceflary it is that the inex- 
perienced youth mould feek the council of the 
aged and the wife, and follow the godly admoni- 
tions of parents and guardians. This would 
fave them many a falfe ftep, and much mifery in 
after life. 

Appearances are deceitful. The ignis-fatuus 
looks like a friendly light, but it betrays the 
unwary traveller down to the fecret chambers 
of death. Poifoned berries fometimes look like 
tempting grapes ; ice, though it may feem firm, 
oftentimes breaks in, and plunges the ram youth 
into a watery grave ; wine, when it giveth its 
colour in the cup, at the laft it biteth like a 
ferpent, and ftingeth like an adder. It was 
when Eve faw that the tree was pleafant to the 
eyes, that {he took of the fruit thereof, by which 
a<3: me loft Eden, and brought death into our 
world, and all our woe. 

If then, an act feem to be right, be fure it is fo 
before you do it. If any thing appears to be 
good, be fure it is fo before you touch it. If any 
of your acquaintance feem to be virtuous, be 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



79 



fure they are fo ere you take them for bofom 
friends. "The fimple pafs on and are puniftied; 
but he that trufteth in the Lord fhall be delivered. 

" Ye fimple fouls that ftray 

Far from the paths of peace, 
That lonely, unfrequented way 

To life and happinefs $ 
Why will ye folly love, 

And throng the downward road, 
And hate the wifdom from above, 

And mock the fons of God ?" 



8o 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




THE PERSECUTED CHRISTIAN. 

Lo ! where the Chriftian walks in fore diftrefs, 

While various evils round about him prefs ; 

Fierce perfecution as a wild bull found, 

With rage he roars and tears the folid ground j 

The mean backbiter, like a fnarling cur, 

AfTails behind, his character to flur $ 

Slander, grown bold, in form of wolf appears, 

Ravening for prey, the innocent he tears : 

The adder, envy lies along his path, 

And works in lecret with its fting of death j 

Fraud, like the crocodile, now lays his mares, 

To catch the unfufpecting unawares ; 

OppreiTion, outrage, is the lion mad, 

When naught but blood his cruel heart can glad $ 

For dove-like wings the Chriftian prays, opprefTd, 

To fly to manfions of eternal reft. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



81 



The engraving (hows a poor man in great 
diftrefs. Far from home, and apparently un- 
protected, he is befet with enemies on every fide. 
He knows not which way to turn. Behind, he 
fears the bellowing of the furious bull, maddened 
with rage, threatening to overtake and deftroy 
him ; while the daftard cur yelps after him, clofe 
at his heels. Before him is the ferocious lion, 
gloating himfelf with the blood of its innocent 
victim ; while the adder coils itfelf about his 
path, ready to pierce him with its deadly fting. 
On one hand is feen the hungry wolf ravening 
for prey \ on the other, the infidious crocodile 
waiting to feize upon him, and drag him down to 
his den of rufhes. In this hopelefs condition, he 
longs for the wings of the dove which he fees 
flying over his head, for then he would efcape 
them all ; he would fly away from the foreft of 
wild beafts to the open wildernefs ; there would 
he be at reft. 

This is an emblem of what the Chriftian 
often times has to fuffer while palling through this 
world to his eternal home. ^Sometimes perfecu- 
tion, like the mad bull and furious lion feen in 
the picture, rages, and threatens to deftroy 
Chriftianity itfelf, and to blot out the remem- 
brance of it from the earth. The prophet 
Daniel was thus affailed, and caft into a den of 
lions. The early Chriftians were fubjected to 
ten fierce and bloody perfecutions, which termi- 
nated not until the Church had loft its character 
for holinefs. 



G 



82 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



In the ftiort reign of the bloody queen Mary, 
(about five years,) of fire and fagot memory, 
perfecution in this form devoured 277 perfons, 
among whom were 5 bifhops, 21 clergymen, 8 
gentlemen of fortune, 84 tradefmen, 100 huf- 
bandmen, 55 women, and 4 children. Thefe 
were all burned alive, befides numerous confifca- 
tions, &c. 

Perfecution, however, exifts very frequently 
in a different form from the above. The back- 
biter plies his mean, cowardly trade, in order to 
injure the character of the righteous. The 
barking, fnarling cur is the moft ufelefs of the 
dog kind : fo the backbiter is the moft defpicable 
among men. Yet is he able, oftentimes, to vex 
the foul of the pious. 

Sometimes, flander, grown bold, like a hungry 
wolf attacks the reputation of the man of God, as* 
Shimei aflailed David in the day of his adverfity. 

Envy is known to plot in fecret the deftruc- 
tion of that excellence {he cannot reach ; while 
fraud takes advantage of the unfufpe&ing child 
of God, and feeks to draw him into fin and 
trouble. In the midft of his perfecutions, the 
Chriftian would fain borrow the wings of a dove, 
and feek refuge in fome vaft wildernefs, " fome 
boundlefs contiguity of made," or rather, the 
wings of fome heavenly cherub ; then would he 
fly to manfions of eternal repofe, where the 
wicked ceafe from troubling, and where the 
weary are for ever at reft." 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



' When rifmg floods my foul o'erflow, 
When finks my heart in waves of woe, 
Jefus, thy timely aid impart, 
And raife my head and cheer my heart, 

' If rough and ftormy be the way, 
My ftrength proportion to my day, 
Till toil, and grief, and pain mall ceafe, 
Where all is calm, and joy, and peace," 



84 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" O wretched man that I am ! who fhall deliver me from the 
body of this death." — Rom. vii. 24. 

THE SOUL IN BONDAGE. 

Horror of horrors ! what a fight is here ! 
Life linked with death, in terror and defpair. 
Thus cruel tyrants, when they won the field, 
Were wont to punifh thofe compelrd to yield. 
The wounded captive, writhing ftill with pain, 
Was made to wear the adamantine chain, 
That round the limbs of one new-flam was led, 
And bound the living to the putrid dead, 
Till, choked with flench, the lingering viclim lay, 
And breathed in agony his life away. 

'Tis thus the foul, enlighten'd by the word, 
Defcries the path that upward leads to God, 
And fain would run, but feels a galling chain 
That quickly drags him to the world again j 
Corruption's body opens to his eye, 
He fees the caufe, but oh ! he cannot fly. 
Who, who ! he afks, with trembling, ftruggling breath, 
Will fave me from this fearful mafs of death ? 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



85 



He calls on Mofes now to break his chain, 
Mofes is deaf — he calls on him in vain 5 
He calls on Jefus — wondrous name ! — he hears, 
And breaks his chain, and fcatters all his fears. 
Now, like the bird that from its prifon flies, 
On wings of love foars upward to the Ikies. 

This engraving reprefents the horrid cuftom 
of ancient tyrants, who, in order to ftrike terror 
into the hearts of their enemies, invented a mode 
of punifliment more terrible than death itfelf. 
They chained the living prifoner to the body of 
a dead perfon. Virgil, referring to this monflrous 
practice, fays : " The tyrants inflicted a punifli- 
ment hitherto unheard of : they bound the living 
to the dead, limb to limb, and face to face, until 
fuffocated with the abominable flench ; in loath- 
fome embraces they gave up the ghoft." This 
mode of torture was confidered more appalling 
than that of burning alive, breaking upon the 
rack, or even crucifixion itfelf. 

It is, no doubt, to this cuftom that the Apoftle 
Paul alludes in his Epiftle to the Romans. 
No other image could fo well illuftrate his 
meaning. His readers were familiar with it. 
Peter, Jleeping in the prifon, bound with chains to 
the bodies of two live men, would not fuit the 
apoftle's purpofe. It is very important that we 
try to make out his meaning. I am brought, he 
fays, into " captivity to the law of fin," and 
wounded, conquered, and chained to this body of 
death. The foul is under the law or power of 
fin, and chained to a body of death — a mafs of 



86 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



corruption. An evil heart, unholy paffions, de- 
praved affe&ions predominate. The light of the 
Holy Spirit mines into the foul, and the man 
difcovers that the law of God is holy, juft, and 
good, and fain would keep it ; that God himfelf 
is indeed altogether lovely, and he would ac- 
quaint himfelf with him. He now fees the path 
that leads to endlefs life, and he defires to walk 
in it. But when he would do good, evil is pre- 
fent with him ; when he would approach the 
feat of Divine Perfections, fojmething keeps him 
back ; when he would walk in the path of life, 
he finds himfelf enchained. Now he follows 
the links of his chain, and difcovers the body of 
corruption to which it is fecured. 

He tries to free himfelf by fome good things 
he did years ago : this only makes the cafe worfe. 
He calls on his friends for help ; but vain is the 
help of man. He calls upon Mofes, he tries to 
reform his outward deportment; but by " the 
deeds of the law" he cannot extricate himfelf. 
At length, in the bitternefs of his foul, he ex- 
claims, u O wretched man that I am ! who 
mail deliver me from this body of death I" And 
now the angel of mercy directs him to the 
Breaker of chains — the Aboliftier of death — 
Conqueror of the grave — the glorious Giver of 
life and immortality — Jefus Emanuel, God with 
us. The Saviour is propitious, deliverance is 
obtained, and the foul, like a bird efcaped from 
the fnare of the fowler, fings triumphantly : — 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



87 



ie What though I could not break my chain, 
Or e'er caft off my load ? 
The things impoflible to men 
Are poflible to God. " 



" Love only can the conquer! win, 
The ftrength of fin fubdue, 
(Mine own unconquerable fin,) 
And form my foul anew. 

u Faith, mighty Faith, the promife fees, 
And looks to that alone 5 
Laughs at impoffibilities, 

And cries, e It mall be done. 1 " 



88 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" There is a way that feemeth right unto a man ; but the end 
thereof are the ways of death/' — Prov. xvi. 2-5. 

DANGER OF SELF-INDULGENCE. 

With cheerful ftep, at blufh of early day. 
The traveller began his arduous way j 
He feeks at noon fome pleafant, cool retreat, 
Where he may fhelter from the noontide heat. 
But oh ! beneath a tuft of flowery green, 
A poifonous ferpent flily lurks unfeen 5 
With deadly aim he from his covert flies, 
The traveller, wounded, in the foreft dies. 

Thus fome begin to run the Chriftian race, 
And for awhile keep up a fteady pace 3 
Till foft indulgence near their path lays wait, 
And Ipreads deceitfully her pleahng bait j 
O'ercome by floth, to fin they fall a prey, 
And never more purfue the good old way. 

This engraving reprefents a traveller fatally 
bitten by a ferpent. With a light heart and a 
firm flep he ftarted on his journey at early 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 89 

dawn. Every thing looked lovely around him ; 
he thought of nothing but fuccefs. He jour- 
neyed on very well until the hour of noon 
arrived, when he began to grow fomewhat tired. 
He looked round for fome cool, fequeftered fpot, 
where he might while away a few hours. At a 
little diftance from the path, he difcovered a 
pleafant, fhady grove. For a moment he hefi- 
tated ; but his love of eafe prevailed. Now he 
forgets every thing except his prefent conveni- 
ence ; he enters the grove ; he is delighted with 
its cool air and agreeable fragrance. 

Suddenly he is bitten to the quick. A ferpent, 
concealed hitherto in the grafs, fixes in his flefti 
its poifonous fang ; the wound is mortal ; his 
life's blood is poifoned ; fires intolerable courfe 
through his veins. He now repents of his folly ; 
he wifhes he had borne the heat of the day. 
The venom reaches his heart ; he thinks of 
home and friends ; his fpirits fink, his head 
fwims, his eyes — they clofe in death. The leaves 
of autumn are ftrown around him, and the place 
that knew him knows him now no more for ever. 

This is an emblem of the danger of felf-indul- 
gence. With alacrity and delight the convert 
fets out on his journey to the kingdom of heaven. 
He anticipates the pleafures he will meet with on 
his arrival. He thinks not of the dangers of the 
road, nor of his own befetments. For awhile he 
makes rapid progrefs. By and by perfecution 
and trouble come upon him ; he grows weary. 
He looks round for fome other way, that has in 



90 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

it lefs of danger and difficulty. Soon he difcovers 
one apparently more eafy and pleafing to flefh 
and blood. For awhile he ftands in doubt ; his 
love of felf-indulgence overcomes him. " He 
will not endure hardnefs as a good foldier of 
Jefus Chrift." He enters the forbidden path. 
Now all feems pleafant and delightful. The 
pleafures of the road lull to fleep his fpiritual 
fenfes. Sin, now, like a ferpent, aflails him ; he 
has now no ftrength to refift ; he falls a vidtim 
to his folly ; guilt and remorfe now fting him to 
the quick. " Fool that I was," he exclaims. 
<c Oh ! that I had continued in the path of duty." 
It is too late. Wretched man, felf-indulgence 
has proved his ruin. 

The difobedient prophet fell a vi&im to felf- 
indulgence, when he turned afide to cc eat bread 
and drink water," and a lion met him by the way 
and flew him. The five foolilh virgins alfo, who 
" flumbered and flept" when they ought to have 
been watching, fell by the fame infidious foe. 
They awoke in outer darknefs, and found the 
door of the kingdom of heaven fair clofed againfr 
them for ever. 

cc If any man will be my difciple," faid the 
Saviour, " let him deny bimfelf] take up his crofs, 
and follow me." To them who by patient con- 
tinuance in well-doing feek for glory, and honour, 
and immortality : eternal life. " He that endureth 
to the end) the fame fhall be faved." 

" Deny thyfelf and take thy crofs, 
Is the Redeemer's great command ! 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



9 



Nature muft count her gold but drofs, 
If me would gain this heavenly land. 

" The fearful foul that tires and faints, 
And walks the ways of God no more, 

Is but efteerrfd almoft a faint, 

And makes his own deltruclion fure. 1 ' 

Dr, Watts. 



9 2 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




%( Surely thou didft fet them in flippery places : thou caftedft them 
down into deftru&ion." — Ps. lxxiii. 16. 

CARNAL SECURITY. 

See here portrayed, a gently riling ground, 
With tulips gay, and blooming roles crowned ; 
Where flowers of various hues, or gay or fair, 
Mingle their fweetnefs with the balmy air ; 
While woodland minftrels Itoop upon the wing, 
Attune their notes, and fofteft carols ling $ 
A youth lies lleeping on the rofeate bed, 
Heedlefs of dangers, thus to ruin led j 
A horrid gulf of thicker!: night is there, 
Where hope ne'er comes, but darknefs and defpair 5 
A turn — a move — and in the gulf he'll roll, 
Where fiery billows prey upon the foul. 

It is by afcending " a gently rifing ground/' 
and not by overleaping abrupt precipices, that 
the^youth attains his dangerous pofition — his bad 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



93 



eminence. " Sin is firft pleafmg, then eafy, 
then delightful, then confirmed, — then the man 
is impenitent, then he is obftinate, then he re- 
folves never to repent, and then he is damned/' 

Sin pofleffes a peculiar faculty to deceive ; this 
is true of fin in all its modifications. It allures, 
that it may betray and deftroy. It meets the 
youth with fmiles only, that it may plunge a 
dagger more furely in the heart. It promifes to 
the gambler, the robber, and murderer, wealth, 
pleafure, kingdoms. But having filled the cup 
of hope to the brim, with cruel mocking it is 
exchanged for the chalice of defpair. 

Sin adapts itfelf to the various depraved appe- 
tites or propenfities of man. To all its votaries 
it promifes the pleafures of this life. But " the 
wages of fin is death." To all likewife it offers 
perfect fecurity ; crying peace, fafety, when fud- 
den deftruftion is at hand. 

As fin is thus deceptive in its promifes and 
fatal in its refults, fo alfo is it in its influence on 
the human mind. It blinds the eyes, it hardens 
the heart, it fears the confcience, it fafcinates the 
imagination, it perverts the judgment, it gives a 
wrong bias to the will, it effaces from the memory 
recollections of the beautiful and the good. In 
a word, it throws the pall of the grave over the 
whole man, and hides from his view, his guilt, 
his danger, and his immortality. 

The man is now wrapped in the mantle of 
" carnal fecurity he is infenfible to all around 
him. The path of finful pleafure is ftrewed with 



94 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Plutonian flowers. They breathe the odour of 
the pit, ftupifying to the fenfes. The bewitching 
mufic of the great enchanter cafts the foul into 
a deep fleep. It is like the fleep of the grave. 

Perhaps he is dreaming of happinefs that he 
will never enjoy ; perhaps of home, that he fhall 
never behold ; or of friends, whom he fhall em- 
brace no more for ever. In the midfl: of his 
dreams of delight, the bow of the Almighty is 
ftrung ; the arrow is made ready ; the dart of 
death is uplifted, ready to fall upon the uncon- 
fcious vi£Hm ; the pit has opened its mouth to 
receive the prey. Nothing but the voice of 
God can aroufe him from his lethargy. 

u What meaneft thou, O fleeper ! arife and 
call upon God, if fo be that thou perifli not. 
Awake, thou that fleepeft ; and arife from the 
dead, and Chrift fhall give thee light. " 

" Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let 
thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth ; 
walk thou in the ways of thy heart, and in the 
fight of thy eyes. But know, that for all thefe 
things God will bring thee into judgment." 

" Ye fons of Adam, vain and young, 
Indulge your eyes, indulge your tongue $ 
Tafte the delights your fouls defire, 
And give a loofe to all your fire. 

" Purfue the pleafures you defign, 
And cheer your hearts with fongs and wine 5 
Enjoy the day of mirth 5 but know, 
There is a day of judgment too. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



" God from on high beholds your thoughts, 
His book records your fecret faults ; 
The works of darknefs you have done, 
Muft all appear before the fun. 

# # # # # 

" The duft returns to dull again $ 
The foul, in agonies of pain, 
Afcends to God, not there to dwell, 
But hears her doom, and fmks to hell/" 



9 6 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




u Where envying and ftrife is, there is confunon and every evil 
work." — James iii. 16. " Wrath is cruel, and anger is 
outrageous j but who is able to ftand before envy?" — Prov. 

XXX. I I. 

THE THREEFOLD DEMON, OR ENVY, 
HATRED, AND MALICE. 

Lo ! where the threefold demon ftalks along, 
The work of defolation to prolong ; 
Envy, and hate, and malice, ail combined, 
To make afflictions, and torment mankind. 
Forward the demon ftrides in fullen mood, 
And chews a viper for her daily food ; 
Loaded with flanders, and with poifon ffrong, 
She deals them largely to the gaping throng : 
Her eyes are weak, and in dilbrder'd plight, 
And hence a blinder to keep off the light. 
To mow that from without proceeds her pain, 
She leans with anguifh on a thorny cane : 
At others" excellence fhe pines, ftraightway 
Hate brings her malice into active play ; 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



97 



Good name fhe tears, and fcatters to the air 
All other epithets of good and fair : 
A fpotlefs character, wherever found, 
With hate me tramples on the miry ground ; 
While in her train behold a temper!: rife, 
That fwells and reaches to the topmoft Ikies. 



In the engraving is reprefented a threefold 
demon ftriding forward, with fullen pace, in order 
to torment mankind. On her back fhe carries a 
pack of flanders, under her arm a quantity of 
poifon : thus me is thoroughly furnifhed for her 
hellifh work. She is chewing the flefh of a 
viper, which, thus introduced in her fyftem, 
poifons her heart's blood, and diforders her eye- 
; fight. In her left hand fhe grafps a thorny ftaff; 

this is to mow that me torments herfelf volun- 
\ tarily. She banquets on the deftruction of 
i human happinefs. See ! how fhe tramples upon 
; character, and fcatters to the four winds the 
: reputation of others. She leaves behind her, 
| and following in her train, a gathering, blacken- 
I ing tempeft, furcharged with the " fire of hell," 
foon to burft upon mankind. 

This emblem reprefents Envy, Hatred, and 
Malice, united in one perfon, and forming a 
being of extraordinary malignity. There are 
manyfuch in human fhape — demons wearing the 
maft of human form, beings whofe eyes are 
pained at the fight of either excellence or happi- 
nefs, whofe heart is corroded with the poifon of 
envious and malicious thoughts, felf-tormented 
with the thorns of their own creation — beings 

H 



9 8 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



who never fmile but at the tears of others, whofe 
hellifh joy confifts in the wreck of human happi- 
nefs, and whofe only mufic is the voice of 
lamentation and woe — beings of Satanic infpira- 
tion. They are always well furnifhed with 
flanders, and never want for opportunity to vent 
them. In this they copy after their great father, 
the prime enemy of man. When beholding the 
original happinefs of the firft human pair in the 
bowers of Eden, ere he effected their overthrow, 

" . . . . Afide the devil turn'd 
For envy ; yet with jealous leer malign 
Eyed them afkance, and to himfeif thus ^plain'd, 
6 Sight hateful, fight tormenting ! r " 

There is great propriety in reprefenting the 
union of envy, hatred, and malice in one indi- 
vidual. Envy itfelf is defined to be u pain felt, 
and malignity conceived, at the fight of excel- 
lence or happinefs." But when envy conceives, 
it brings forth hatred ; and hatred, when it is 
finimed, brings forth malice. We have a ftriking 
example of this union in the conduct of Jofeph's 
brethren towards him. Firft " they envied him," 
probably on account of his fuperior excellence ; 
then " they hated him," in confequence of the 
partial conduct of Jacob their father ; and finally 
in their malice " they fold him " for a Have. 

A ftill greater example occurs in the conduct 
of the Jews towards the blefTed Redeemer, in 
whom all excellences met, when w for envy they 
delivered him " into the hands of the Romans ; 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



99 



they envied him for the fplendour of holinefs that 
fhone around his path. In their hatred they 
exclaimed, " He hath a devil ; " and in their 
blood-thirfty malice u they cried out the more, 
faying, 4 Let him be crucified.' " 

If envy, malice, hatred, reigns, 
And binds my foul with flavim chains, 
O Lord, thy heavenly love impart, 
And drive the demon from my heart. 



100 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" While we look not at the things which are feen, but at the 
things which are not feen." — 2 Cor. iv. 18. " For we walk 
by faith, not by fight." — 2 Cor. v. 7. 

CHRISTIAN FAITH, OR RELIGION. 

High on the world, fee where Religion ftands 
And bears the open volume in her hands j 
With eyes upraifed, me feeks for heavenly light, 
To know its do6trines and its laws aright : 
The crofs of Chrift (he bears, and walks abroad, 
And holds communion with her Father, God. 
Thus with the Chriftian : filled with love divine, 
Above the world he foars in heavenly clime, 
The iacred crofs his only hope and flay, 
The Book of Truth his guide from day to day. 

Christian Faith or Religion is here repre- 
fented itanding upon a globe. This denotes that 
the Chriftian, although he is in the world, yet, 
like a fhip at fea, he is above the world. In her 
hands fhe holds the opened volume of God's 
Holy Word. She is looking upward, to (how 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



IOI 



that fne experts light from above to ftiine upon 
the facred page. With one arm me embraces 
the crofs, fignifying that her only hope of falva- 
tion is founded on the death of Jefus Chrift. 

This is an emblem of that religion which God 
in his mercy has given to mankind. He who 
pofFeffes it refts his all — his foul and body, 
his time and his eternity — upon the atonement of 
our Lord and Saviour jefus Chrift. While fome 
are trufting to the mere mercy of God out of 
Chrift, and others to their felf-righteoufnefs, 
others again to the interceffion of men, women, 
and angels, his language is, 'Tis all my hope, 
and all my plea, for me the Saviour died. God 
forbid that I mould glory, fave in the crofs of 
our Lord Jefus Chrift. The crofs of Chrift is 
the mighty lever that is to roll the world back 
again to God. All true Chriftians have fo under- 
ftood it. 

Conftantine the Great took advantage of this 
fact — the common faith of the early Chriftians in 
the power of the crofs. When going to fight 
againft Maxentius, he related to his army that he 
faw (fome fay in a vifion) a crofs in the iky, 
bearing this infcription, rovrto vikcl cc By this 1 
conquer " It infpired the foldiers with courage. 
The crofs was feen infcribed on every banner ; 
the emperor led his army to triumphant victory. 

The Holy Scriptures are very precious to him 
who has true faith. He regards them as the 
words of God — as a divine proclamation of grace 
to man — as a record of parental love — as a 



102 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



hiftory of his dear Redeemer, and of his own 
redemption — as the title-deed of his own glorious 
inheritance — as the only rule of his faith and 
practice. With its facred leaves open before 
him, he looks upward and prays, " O Lord, 
open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous 
things out of thy law/' While fome neglecl 
and defpife the Holy Book, and others depend 
upon human creeds, and the mufty traditions 
of u the Fathers," he exclaims, " O how 
I love thy law ! Thy ftatutes have been my 
fongs in the houfe of my pilgrimage." 

By his faith in the crofs, the Bible, the power 
of prayer, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, 
the Chriftian overcomes the world, enjoys com- 
munion with God, becomes meet to be a par- 
taker of the inheritance of the faints in light, and 
finally join in the fong of Mofes and of the Lamb 
for ever. 

Then embrace Religion, " and you (hall be 
prefently inftalled in the poffeflion of all the bene- 
fits and immunities of the Redeemer's purchafe 
without deduction, and without qualification ; 
you mail emerge from under the dark ftiadows of 
the fall, into the effulgence of the light, and the 
plenitude of the joy, of a renovated, heaven-born 
nature ; and the filent tide of oblivion mall in- 
ftantly clofe for ever over all your paft fins, and 
you mall be immediately admitted into the circle 
of the redeemed of the Lord. 

" Your brow mall be encircled with a double 
diadem of life and righteoufhefs ; a patent to all 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. IO3 

the titles and illuftrious dignities of the nobility of 
heaven mall be made out for you, which nothing 
in time or eternity mail alienate or refcind. Para- 
dife mail unlock for you its everlafting gates, and 
you (hall behold the interminable future through 
a vifta of the brighter! hopes, and inherit a name 
immortal in the records of glory." 



io4 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




u Which hope we have as an anchor of the foul, hoth fure and 
fteadfaft." — Heb. vi. 19. " For we are faved by hope." — 
Rom. viii. 24. 

HOPE. 

On Truth's fubftantial rock, Hope takes her feat, 

While waves tumultuous dam againft her feet j 

The fky with blacknefs now becomes o'erfpread ; 

The tempeft threatens her devoted head : 

Louder, and louder ftill, the thunders found 5 

The lightning flings its fearful glare around ; 

Creation trembles ; but faff anchored there 

Hope fits unfhaken, never in defpair 5 

With eyes turned upward, whence her help defcends, 

She waits expecting, till the tempeft ends. 

Hope is reprefented in the picture above as 
being feated upon a rock. Worldly hope has 
always fome fuppofed foundation on which it 
relies. But Chriftian hope has for a foundation 
the rock of truth, God's mo ft holy word. In the 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



105 



midft of gathering ftorms, (he is depi&ed looking 
upward ; this exprefles, her confidence in God. 
She leans upon an anchor ; this denotes ftead- 
faftnefs and truft. Hope was compared to 
an anchor, by ancient writers. Thus Socrates 
exprefTes himfelf : " To ground hope on a falfe 
fuppofition, is like trufting to a weak anchor." 

The hope of heaven is icprefented by the 
apoftle Paul, as the anchor of the foul. We fee 
the propriety of this figure when we confider that 
the world is like a tempeftuous fea, full of dan- 
gers. The courfe of the child of God, the 
voyage ; heaven, the port, or harbour, which he 
expects and defires to gain. Sometimes when a 
fliip rides at anchor, dreadful ftorms arife, the 
wind blows with fury, the tempeft howls, and 
waves roar and beat againft the vefTel. But if 
the fhip be what is termed fea-worthy, that is, 
firm, ftrongly put together ; if, at the fame time, 
the cable be ftrong, and the anchor bites, or 
ftrikes its fluke deep into good holding ground, 
all will be well. The ftorm may rage, rocks and 
quickfands may lie to leeward, threatening de- 
ft rucl: ion, yet will me be fecure. It is true, fhe 
will have to fend down her topmafts and yards, 
and keep anchor-watch, yet will, ftie ride out the 
gale. 

By this we may fee the proper ufe of hope 
to the Chriftian, which is, to keep the foul calm 
and fecure in the day of adverfity. Hope does 
not remove trouble ; it fuftains the foul in the 
time of trouble. The anchor does not difpel the 



io6 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



ftorm ; it does not quiet the roaring waves, arreft 
the rolling thunder, nor bid the winds be ftill : 
but it enables the vefTel to ride out the fury of 
the gale ; it keeps her from being driven on the 
rocks of death. The mod pious Chriftian does 
not find himfelf exempt from the cares and 
calamities of this life, or free from the conflicts 
and difficulties of the Chriftian life. He often 
finds himfelf " tofPd upon life's raging billows 
but under thefe circumftances the hope of heaven, 
as the anchor of the foul, keeps him fteady. 
" Which hope we have," fays the apoftle, " as an 
anchor to the foul, both fure and fteadfaft." This 
hope preferves him from being darned to pieces 
againft the rocks of temptation, deftruftion, and 
defpair ; it at the fame time imparts a delightful 
fenfe of fecurity in the day of trial, a blefled fenfe 
of peace amid a fea of troubles. It infpires forti- 
tude and boldnefs in the caufe of God. " Hope 
maketh not afhamed, becaufe the love of God is 
(bed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghoft, 
which is given unto us." 

Among the Arabians, the water-melon is known 
by the name of cc batech" which in the Hebrew 
language fignifies hope. The melon, by its ten- 
drils, clings to whatever it can lay hold of. Juft 
fo, hope : the Chriftian's hope clings to God, 
his promifes, his faithfulnefs, his love. " The 
water-melon is cultivated on the banks of the 
river Nile," fays a traveller. " It ferves the 
Egyptians for meat, drink, and medicine. It is 
eaten in abundance by even the richer fort of 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



IO7 



people, but the poor fcarcely eat any thing but 
thefe." This affords a good illuftration. What, 
indeed, would life be without hope ! 

"Man never is, but always to be bleft. 1, 

Take away hope, and you take away the en- 
joyment of profperity \ deprive man of hope, and 
you take away the only fupport and folace of ad- 
verfity. The moft happy, the mo ft profperous, 
without hope, would loon become the moft 
wretched. The poor and afflicted, without it, 
would fink at once into the gulf of defpair. To 
deprive man of hope, is to rob him of his deareft 
treafure. Extinguish hope, and you extinguifh 
life, for who could live without hope ? It is the 
laft lingering light of the human breaft. " It (nines 
when every other is put out. Quench it, and 
the gloom of affliction becomes the very black- 
nefs of darknefs — cheerlefs and impenetrable," 



io8 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" Bear ye one another's burdens, and fo fulfil the law of Chrift." 
Gal. vh 2. 



BROTHERLY KINDNESS. 

Lo ! the poor pilgrim bends beneath his load, 
And travels wearily his lengthening road ; 
Contempt's vaft weight, back'd by amotions fore, 
Incline him now to give his journey o'er ; 
With groaning fick, with labour faint he ftops, 
And on the pathway tottering, almoft drops : 
But ere he proftrate falls, relief is near, 
Two brethren of the Chriftian band appear ; 
Their cheerful aid they fpeedily impart, 
To eafe his burden, and relieve his heart ; 
His willing moulder each one runs to lend, 
And on he travels to his journey's end. 

Look at the poor pilgrim. Awhile ago he 
was bending beneath his burden, unaided, un- 
pitied, and alone. Almoft preffed to the earth, 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. IO9 

he would fain have given his journey over. Hi s 
heart was fick within him ; his bones wer 
wearied ; he thought he would lay him down 
and die. But before he funk under the preffure, 
he faw two friends coming towards him. He 
endeavours now to hold out a little longer. 
Prefently they arrive, and give him a friendly 
falutation. They do not, like the Levite^ pais 
by on the other fide ; at once they haften to his 
relief ; each one puts his moulder to the burden. 
Now it is lighter ; the poor man draws breath ; 
they encourage him with kind words, but ftill 
more with their efficient help. Nor do they 
leave him until he arrives at the end of his 
journey. 

This is a good emblem of Brotherly Kindnefs. 
The burdened pilgrim reprefents the Chriftian 
travelling on in the way of duty, bearing affliction 
and contempt. Afflictions fuch as are common 
to men prefs heavily upon him ; contempt and 
tribulation, peculiar to thofe who will live godly 
in Chrift Jefus, almoft overwhelm him. His 
foul is among lions ; he is ready to fink beneath 
his burden. His head is fick, his heart is faint. 
He fays, " I mail one day fall by my enemies ; 
I may as well give up firft as laft." Juft 
now fome Chriftian brethren — lignified by the 
pilgrim's two friends above — hearing of his 
circumftances, call upon him, find out his 
trouble, and immediately propofe to help him. 
They furnifti him with pecuniary aid, affift him 
with their prayers and counfel, and being the 



no 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



difciples of Jefus, they refolve to bear a part of 
the reproach of Chrift. They unite with their 
afflicted brother in ftemming the torrent of 
wickednefs that runs down the ftreets, and in 
advancing the kingdom of God on the earth. 
All this fympathy and aid makes a new man of 
him ; he again lifts up his head, and goes on his 
way rejoicing. 

The blefTed Redeemer eftablifhed his crofs 
on the earth as the rallying point for all hearts \ 
that being foftened there by divine love, they 
might be united to God ; and that being diverted 
there of all felfifhnefs, they might be united to 
each other in the bonds of a holy, loving brother- 
hood. " A new commandment," faid the 
Saviour, " give I unto you, that ye love one 
another." Hence the words of the Apoftle, 
" Bear ye one another' } s burdens ^ and fo fulfil the 
law of Chrijl" 

Even under the Jewifh difpenfation it was 
ordained that u if thou fee the afs of him that 
hateth thee lying under his burden, thou malt 
furely help him."' 

How much better is a man than a beaft ! and 
compared with the Jew's, how much more 
powerful is the weight of the Chriftian's obliga- 
tion ! 

Bleft be the tie that binds 

Our hearts in Chriftian love, 
The fellowfhip of kindred minds 

Is like to that above. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Ill 



We ihare our mutual woes j 

Our mutual burdens bear ; 
And often for each other flows 

The fympathizing tear. 

Before our Fathers throne 

We pour our ardent prayers 5 
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, 

Our comforts and our cares, 

Fawcett, 



" Without niedding of blood there is no remilhon." — Rom. ix. 
22. We have redemption through his blood, even the for- 
givenefs of lin." — Col. i. 14. 

DIVINE LOVE AND JUSTICE. 

Behold where Juftice, with her fword raifed high, 

In words that echo through the trembling iky, 

Demands, in virtue of the Law's juft right, 

That man mould perifh in eternal night. 

Pale, trembling, fearful, fee the culprit Hand, 

Nor dares to hope deliverance at hand. 

On wings of grace, and heavenly motion fleet, 

Love haftens, proftrate at the claimant's feet. 

" Me ! me behold ! " fhe cries, " on me be pour'd 

The wrathful vial that for him is ftored. 

Here, in this heart, plunge deep th' avenging blade, 

My life for his ! fo Juftice fhall be paid." 

'Tis done ! the fword is bathed in fpotlefs blood, 

And man, releafed, returns to life — and God. 

In this picture Juftice is feen ftanding with 
her fword raifed high, ready to fall upon the 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



"3 



guilty one. In her left hand fhe holds the fcales 
of equity ; at her fide the two tables of lav/ appear, 
at the foot of which lies the Holy Bible. In the 
front of Juftice, one is feen in the attitude of a 
culprit ; he hangs his head down in acknowledg- 
ment of his guilt. Between the offender and 
Juftice, behold one of celeftial mien, in a kneeling 
pofture, with wings outfpread ; her countenance 
beams with companion \ addreffing Juftice, fhe 
points to her uncovered bofom, and afks that the 
fword may be plunged therein, and that the 
guilty one may go free. This is Divine Love, 

This is an emblem of human redemption. A 
book of laws is given to man, which is holy, juft, 
and good, the fubftance of which is contained in 
the decalogue, or ten commandments. Thefe 
laws, whether engraved on tables of ftone, or 
written on rolls of parchment, or printed in 
books, or imprefled on the human heart, have been 
violated by all mankind, for " all have finned/' 
and confequently have come fhort of the divine 
approbation. The penalty is u death." cc The 
foul that finneth, it mail die." Thus the matter 
ftands when the finner is brought before the 
tribunal of juftice. 

Juftice never forgives, nor makes any allow-' 
ance for circumftances or human infirmity. 
The plea put in by Lord Nelfon when dying, 
that " he had not been a very great finner," will 
be utterly unavailing. The reply of Juftice is, 
" He that offends in one point, is guilty of all." 

But ere the fword of Juftice is bathed in the 
i 



ii 4 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



blood of the guilty, Divine Love, in the perfon 
of Jefus Chrift, interpofed, " and poured out his 
foul unto death, and made interceffion for the 
tranfgrefTors." On the hill of Calvary this 
wonderful fcene took place. There Divine Love 
received the fword of Juftice — there the heart of 
the Son of God bled for guilty man — there he 
u who knew no fin, became a fin offering for 
us." Mercy and Truth now meet together, 
Juftice and Peace kifs each other. 

" Greater love than this hath no man, that a 
man lay down his life for his friends ; but God 
commendeth his love toward us, in that while 
we were yet finners, Chrift died for us." Shout, 
heaven and earth, this fum of God to man, that 
God can now be juft, and the juftifier of him 
who believes in Jefus. 

" Infinite grace ! Almighty charms ! 
Stand in amaze, ye rolling ikies ! 
Jefus the God extends his arms, 

Hangs on a crofs of love, and dies ! 

" Did pity ever ftoop fo low, 

DrefTed in divinity and blood ? 
Was ever rebel courted fo, 

In groans of an expiring God ? 

" Again he lives, and fpreads his hands — 

Hands that were nail'd with torturing fmart, 
By thefe dear wounds ! he looks and Hands, 
And prays to clafp me to his heart. ' ' 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Five bleeding wounds he bears, 

Received on Calvary ; 
They pour efFe£hial prayers, 

They ftrongly fpeak. for me 5 
Forgive him, O forgive, they cry, 
Nor let that ranlbmed finner die. 

He ever lives above, 

For me to intercede ; 
His all-redeeming love, 

His precious blood to plead. 
His blood atoned for all our race, 
And fprinkles now the throne of 



Il6 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himfelf 
by Jefus Chrift. . . . God was in Chrift, reconciling the 
world unto himfelf. ... Be ye reconciled to God." — 
2 Cor. v. 18, 19, 20. 

RECONCILIATION. 

Between the bleeding vi£Km, cut in twain, 
Two, once at variance, meet, at one again ; 
Gladly the hand of fellowfhip impart, 
And pledge the honour of a faithful heart, 
And by the God of life and death agree 
The paft to bury in oblivion's fea 5 
They vow each other's intereft to befriend, 
And when in need, to fuccour and defend. 
And as the parted viclim lies in death, 
So they adjudge who breaks his folemn oath. 

This engraving reprefents two men Handing 
between the two parts of a divided calf. They 
have been for a long time enemies^o each other. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



II 7 



Now they earneftly defire to become friends 
again ; they wifh to bury all pa ft differences in 
the ocean of forgetfulnefs, and to enter into an 
agreement mutually to affift and defend each 
other in time to come. To accomplim this 
object, they have met together. As a proof of 
their fincerity, they offer a facrifice to the object 
of their religious adoration. The blood of the 
victim is poured out, the animal is divided into 
two equal parts. The parts are placed oppofite 
to each other, fpace enough being left for the 
parties to enter between. When this is done, 
they meet in the middle of the divided beaft, 
where the contract is read or repeated, and by a 
folemn oath fanctioned and confirmed. This was 
an ancient and almoft univerfal mode of making 
contracts. It is referred to by Jeremiah the pro- 
phet : " And I will deliver up the men that have 
tran fgre fled my covenant, which have not per- 
formed the words of the covenant which they 
had made before me, when they cut the calf in 
twain, and paffed through the parts thereof. " 

The above is a fignificant emblem of that 
reconciliation which is proclaimed by the ever- 
lafting gofpel. The holy God and finful man 
conftitute the parties. Man had, by his fins, 
feparated himfelf from God, and had, in fact, 
become an " enemy. " God, the offended party, 
proclaims a truce, and propofes a reconciliation. 
The place of meeting was Mount Calvary. 
There Mercy and Truth met together, Juftice 
and Peace embraced each other \ the victim, the 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Lord Jefus Chrift. Without fhedding of blood 
there is no forgivenefs, and without forgivenefs 
there is no reconciliation ; but " God was in 
Chrift, reconciling the world to himfelf," and 
" Chrift is our peace, who hath made both one." 
The terms of the covenant are, " He that be- 
lieveth mall be faved, and he that believeth not 
{hall be damned." 

On this ground, i. e., " in Chrift" God has 
fworn to receive to friendfliip all who come to 
him. Here he opens his heart of love — here he 
beftows more than kingly dignities—here the 
kingdom of grace is exhibited, and the fplendours 
of the kingdom of glory fhadowed forth. But 
for thofe " who count the blood of the covenant 
an unholy thing, there remaineth no more facri- 
fice for fin, but a certain fearful looking for of 
fiery indignation, which mail devour the adver- 
faries." 

The reconciliation of a foul to God is perhaps 
the greateft event that can come to pafs on the 
earth. It affects three worlds : heaven, earth, 
and hell. When this takes place, angels, in 
their flights of mercy, paffing over fields of re- 
nown, where empires are won and loft, ftoop 
upon the wing, and ftringing their harps to a 
loftier melody, they fing the anthem of all-re- 
deeming love, " Glory to God in the higheft, on 
earth peace, and good-will toward man." 

God, the offended God Molt High, 

Ambaffadors to rebels fends 5 
His meffengers his place supply, 

And Jefus begs us to be friends. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Us in the ftead of Chrift they pray, 
Us in the ftead of God entreat, 

To caft our arms, our fins, away, 
And find forgivenefs at his feet. 

Our God in Chrift ! thine embafly, 
And proffer'd mercy we embrace, 

And gladly reconciled to thee, 
Thy condefcending mercy praife. 



120 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




if - That we might receive the adoption of fons. . . . and if a fon, 
then an heir of God." — Gal. iv. 5, 7. 

ADOPTION. 

See here the king, in regal fplendour clad, 

Comes forth to meet the ragged, friendlels lad 5 

Attended by his fons, a princely race, 

He comes to manifeft his royal grace : 

In one hand, fee ! he bears a crown of light, 

And with the other takes the haplefs wight, 

And up the lteps he leads him, pale with dread, 

And fets the diadem upon his head. 

His rags removed, with regal robes he's drefTed, 

And o'er his moulders thrown the purple veft. 

The royal youths look on with mute iurprife, 

While pleafure dances in their generous eyes. 

The imperial gates on golden hinges fwing, 

And crowds advance, and hail the new-made king. 

A monarch is here feen ftanding arrayed in 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



121 



his robes of ftate, and crown of glittering gems. 
He has left his guefts within the palace ; he has 
come forth ; he holds in his hand a crown of 
pureft gold. On the fteps he meets a poor, rag- 
ged boy ; he intends to make him an object of 
his efpecial favour. He takes him kindly by the 
hand, and leads him up the fteps. The poor boy 
trembles ; he is greatly afraid. The king places 
the crown upon his brow ; he commands that 
royal robes be brought forthwith, to clothe him 
withal. Moreover, he orders that proclamation 
be made, announcing that he is received among 
the princes of the realm. 

Some of the king's fons are feen ftanding 
behind. They look on with wonder, but not 
with jealoufy. They appear delighted at what 
they fee ; they embrace him as a brother. The 
news reaches the infide of the palace ; the 
inmates haften out to congratulate the new-made 
king. He returns with them, and takes his feat 
at the banquet, amid ftrains of mufic and the 
voice of fong. 

This is an emblem of Adoption. The king 
reprefents the Almighty Father, King of heaven 
and earth. The king's fons fignify the angels, 
who have never finned. The boy in rags repre- 
fents the fmner, man. The finner, " wretched, 
and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked," 
is driven by the ftorms of guilt and anguifh that 
beat upon him to feek a place of refuge. 
" Whither mall I flee ? " he afks, in the agony of 
his foul. He refolves : " I will arife, and go to my 



122 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Father." Thus, in all his mifery, he prefents 
himfelf before the King, Jehovah. 

Whereas the king is feen coming forth from 
his palace, and taking the poor boy by the hand ; 
this is to mow how willingly God receives the 
poor penitent who comes to him in the name of 
the Mediator. When he was yet a great way 
off, he faw him, and had companion on him. 
He takes him by the hand, faying, u Him that 
cometh unto me, I will in no wife caft out." 
He places a crown on his head, that is, he adopts 
him as his own fon ; he makes him an heir of his 
eternal glory. 

Now he has a childlike confidence in God as 
his Father ; God having fent forth the fpirit of 
his Son into his heart, crying, Abba, Father. 
He takes his place among the children of God, 
loft in wonder, love, and praife. " Behold what 
manner of love the Father hath beftowed on us, 
that we mould be called the fons of God." 

The angels, thofe elder fons of the Almighty, 
gladly welcome the adopted to their number •> 
they receive him as one that was loft, and is 
found ; that was dead, and is alive again ; and 
henceforth minifter to him as an heir of falva- 
tion. 

Not all the nobles of the earth, 
Who boaft the honours of their birth, 
Such real dignity can claim, 
As thofe that bear the Chriftian name. 

To them the privilege is given 

To be the fons and heirs of heaven • 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



123 



Sons of the God who reigns on high, 
And heirs of joy beyond the Iky, 

On them, a happy chofen race, 
Their Father pours his richeft grace 5 
To them his counfels he imparts, 
And ftamps his £nage on their hearts. 

Dr. S. Stennett, 



124 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




44 For they loved the praife of men more than the_ praife of 
God." — John xii. 43. 

SPIRITUAL PRIDE. 

See where the Pharifee inflated ftands, 

And founds his praife abroad to diftant lands, 

Himfelf his trumpeter, he blows, not faint, 

That all may hear, and own him for a faint 5 

His lengthen'd notes in fonorous accents fay, 

" I do — I think — I give — I fart— I pray ! " 

No bankrupt he, for lo ! to feed his pride, 

See bale on bale, clofe pack'd, ftand by his fide. 

The beggar comes, worn down with grief, and old 5 

He's foon difcharged, for Pride has little gold. 

He doles his pittance into mifery's hat, 

And loud applaufe he afks, in full for that. 

The gaudy peacock, ftrutting in the rear, 

Is but a figure of this trumpeter ; 

It ftruts, and fwells, and fpreads its plumes abroad : 

So he, abforbed in lelf, forgets his God. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



125 



This engraving reprefents a man who appears 
to be on very refpe&able terms with himfelf. 
He is founding a trumpet before him ; he is very 
anxious that everybody mould know when he 
performs what he conceives to be a good action. 
A poor man is afking charity ; he never refufes a 
trifle, provided he has his trumpet with him. Up 
it goes, and, with a long blaft, he calls the diftant 
pafFengers to behold him. At the fide of the 
trumpeter are feen feveral bales of goods ; thefe 
are his ftock in trade. Behind is feen the pea- 
cock, ftrutting, fwelling, and difplaying her 
brilliant train. A proper emblem of this proud 
trumpeter. 

The above cut is an emblem of Spiritual 
Pride. The trumpeter, giving a little fmall- 
change to the beggar, and apprizing everybody of 
the fa£t, denotes one who loves to make a parade 
of his religious performances. Does he give to 
benevolent objects? It is that he may receive 
the praife of men. Does he faft, or pray, or 
wormip ? It is that he " may be feen of men." 
On the houfe-top, through the newfpapers, and 
other fources of circulation, he proclaims his 
good deeds. He conjugates all his verbs in the 
firft perfon only : " I vifited," " I preached," " I 
prayed," " I gave," &c. Thus the praife of 
worms becomes necefTary to his exiftence ; on 
this food he grows fat. Deprive him of it, and 
he will pine away, and die of atrophy. He facri- 
fices to his own net ; he burns incenfe to his own 
drag. Self is the god he adores. The " bales of 



126 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

goods " denote that he is well flocked with felf- 
righteoufnefs. In his own opinion, he is " rich 
and increafed in goods, and has need of nothing." 
The peacock, after all, has juft as much religion 
as he has. 

The hypocritical pharifees of the Saviour's 
time were men of this ftamp. They founded a 
trumpet before them under pretence of calling 
the poor together, but in reality it was to fay, 
" Look at me." They had " their reward." In 
the eaft, the pra£tice varies. It is faid that the 
dervifhes, a kind of religious beggars, carry with 
them a horn, which, when receiving alms, they 
blow in honour of the giver. 

All pride is pretty much alike in its nature and 
effects. It is produced in fome perfons by noble 
birth and great natural abilities. In others, by 
wealth and learning. In others, again, by certain 
ecclefiaftical endowments, fuch as an office in 
the church, the gift of praying, or of preaching, 
&c. Thefe things are all alike good in them- 
felves, but the hearts of the pofTefTors being 
unfancftified, the gifts are abufed, and the Giver 
neglefted. 

He who pofTefTes true religion will be truly 
humble. Humility is the only proper antidote for 
pride. When humility enters, pride departs, as 
flies the darknefs from the fun. To Hay pride, 
and teach man humility by example, the blefTed 
Saviour took upon him the form of a fervant. 
He made himfelf of no reputation ; he humbled 
himfelf unto death, yea, even unto the death of 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



127 



the crofs. O wonderful humility ! O boundlefs 
grace ! 

Pride renders its pofTefTor truly miferable in 
this life. The Father of fpirits alone can fill an 
immortal fpirit. The man of pride rejects the 
bleffed God, and depends for happinefs on the 
applaufe of man. This is uncertain , unfatiffying, 
and tranfitory. Witnefs the cafe of Haman, who, 
notwithftanding the " glory of his riches," " the 
multitude of his children," and his princely pre- 
ferments, was truly wretched. " All this availed 
him nothing," fo long as his voracious pride went 
without its accuftomed fee — fo long as one man 
refufed to bring his tribute of homage. But 
pride will render its pofTefTor miferable to all 
eternity. " How can ye be faved who feek 
honour one of another, and not the honour that 
cometh from God only ? " 



128 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



" Beware of falfe prophets, which come to you in fheep's clothing; 
but inwardly they are ravening wolves." — Mat. vii. 15. 

HYPOCRISY. 

See in the diftance, there, thofe harmlefs fheep ; 
Nor watch or ward at any time they keep ; 
Well pleafed, along the paftures green they tread, 
And unfufpecling crop the flowery mead : 
The fhepherd (lumbers in the noontide's made, 
His flock forfaken, and his truft betrayed. 
The wolf draws near, in fheepfkin fhrewdly drefPd, 
He bleats aloud, and mixes with the reft ; 
They prick their ears, and look with fome mrprife, 
But can't detecl: him in his deep difguife. 
He marks his time j when they are all afleep, 
He flays the lambs, and tears the filly fheep. 
Thus all falfe teachers are on ruin bent, 
And by Apollyon on their miflion fent $ 
Without, the clothing of Chrift's flock they wear, 
Within, the heart of ravening wolves they bear. 

The engraving Ihows a wolf in difguife, and 
a flock of fheep in the background. The fhep- 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



129 



herd is abfent from his charge ; the fheep wander 
on without any to control their movements. 
The green paftures and verdant meadows afford 
them plenty of employment. Innocent them- 
felves, they fufpect no danger. But the wolf 
comes ; he comes, too, in deep difguife, not in 
his true character ; not as a wolf, hut as a fheep. 
The flocks are deceived ; he mingles with them ; 
he marks his time. Firft one ftraggler, and now 
another, fall victims to his tooth of blood, At 
length, in an unguarded moment, he kills all the 
lambs, and tears and worries the entire flock. 
But think not that the ravening wolf efcapes 
without punifhment. No ; the owner of the 
flock fees what has been done ; he difcovers the 
enemy, and kills him. He leaves his carcafs on 
the ground, a warning to all wolves in fheep' s 
clothing. 

In comparing fmall things with great, the 
Saviour compared the falfe prophets, or teachers, 
to a wolf in fheep's clothing. " Beware," faid 
he, " of falfe prophets, who come to you in 
fheep's clothing ; but inwardly they are ravening 
wolves." Hypocrify confifts in acting a part or 
character not our own. There are hypo- 
crites in all profeflions, and a great deal of 
hypocrify in the world. Men of low degree are 
vanity, and men of high degree are a lie. Both 
of them together, laid in the balance of fincerity, 
would be found wanting. 

Of all hypocrites, the falfe teacher of religion 
is the mo ft dangerous. He it is that fcatters 

K 



i3° 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



firebrands, arrows, and death. True Chriftians 
are honeft themfelves in their profeffions of piety, 
and unfufpe£ting of others - 3 they do not miftruft, 
This expofes them to the fchemes of hypocrites. 
Sometimes, alfo, the true teacher is abfent from 
his charge. Of this circumftance the falfe 
teacher will avail himfelf. Satan is never afleep 
or abfent. It is his bufinefs to fow tares ; he 
felefts his time, u when men fleep ; ' ? he felects 
his agents, his own children ; he aflifts them in 
difguifing themfelves, and fends them forth to 
their heliifh work. 

Armed with the whole armour of Satan, the 
falfe teacher approaches the children of God. 
He begins by cant ; he talks gofpel truth fome- 
times ; he infinuates, wheedles, and flatters, until 
he has gained confidence ; then he addrefTes 
himfelf to his talk in good earneft. Young 
converts are beguiled from the fimplicity of the 
gofpel ; the weak in the faith are perplexed and 
turned out of the way ; the reft have their con- 
fidence weakened, their peace deftroyed, and their 
fouls put in danger. His object is to fcatter, 
tear, and kill, and fecure the fleece for a prey. 
Some are fatiffied with the fleece, and fufFer the 
fheep to live ; but this fon of Satan comes alfo 
to tear and deftroy. Wolves are now abroad 
in fheep's clothing. Let the flock of Chrift 
beware. Let the falfe teachers alfo beware, 
becaufe the Chief Shepherd will appear, and cut 
them in funder, and appoint them their portion 
with the hypocrites. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



" By their fruits ye ftiali know them." Fruits 
are the conduit of a man ; his actions are the 
language of his heart. If the flock would wait 
awhile before they fuffer themfelves to act, they 
would know that " an evil tree cannot bring 
forth good fruit." 

Let the following marks be attended to in 
paffing judgment : 

1. The falfe teacher goes to the fold of true 
Chriftians, and labours not to convert finners 
from their evil ways. 

2. The falfe teacher perfuades Chriftians to 
leave the fold, inftead of helping them to grow 
in grace and in knowledge, and rejoicing in their 
profperity, as did Barnabas. 

3. The falfe teacher fpeaks evil againft the 
true teachers of the Gofpel, inftead of regarding 
them as co-workers with the Lord. 



132 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" For the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow 
upon the firing, that they may privily fhoot at the upright 
in heart." — Ps. xi. 2. " . . . . their tongue a fharp fword." 
— Ps. lvii. 4. 

SLANDER AND BACKBITING. 

Mark ! where the good man unfufpecling treads, 
No evil meditates, nor evil dreads j 
The bafe aflafiins from their covert ftart, 
And fheath the dagger in his bleeding heart 5 
Or moot their arrows, ftrung by hate, unflack, 
With deadly aim at the defencelefs back. 
So fmites the flanderer, with poifon'd tongue, 
The man — his neighbour — who has done no wrong ; 
Thief-like, he fteals what gold cannot replace, 
And, like a coward, dares not mow his face : 
A brutifh cur, that iheaks along the track, 
Awaits his time, then fprings upon the back. 

Behold the good man ! He walks leifurely 
along towards his home ; very likely he has been 
vifiting the houfe of mourning — drying the poor 
widow's tears, or feeding and clothing the for- 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



J 33 



faken orphan. He is probably anticipating much 
pleafure from the recital of what he has feen and 
heard, to his beloved family.- He may be 
revolving in his mind fchemes of future bene- 
volence, or meditating on the goodnefs of his 
heavenly Father ; perhaps contemplating the vaft 
concerns of the eternal ftate. He fees no foe, 
he hears no hoftile ftep ; he feels himfelf fuddenly 
wounded, his head fwims, he reels, and falls to 
the ground. 

The bafe poltroons had carefully watched their 
time, and, with the (harp dagger and empoifoned 
arrow, had cruelly murdered the innocent. The 
deed is done in fecret ; yet all the heavenly 
world beheld it ; and under cover of darknefs 
they efcape, but not for ever. The earth refufes 
to cover the blood of the murdered. 

This emblem fets forth the fin of flander or 
backbiting, which is, of all things whatsoever, 
the mo ft abominable, and to be detefted. The 
flanderer contains within himfelf almoft all 
the vices of other tranfgreffors. He is for 
the moft part a liar of the very worft clafs. 
Whether he forges the calumny himfelf, or retails 
that of others, it matters not ; he is ftill a liar in 
the fight of God and man. Not only fo, the 
flanderer is alfo a thief- — a robber of the nrft 
magnitude, for 

" . . . He who fteals my purfe, fteals tram. 

But he who filches from me my good name, 
Robs me of that which not enriches him, 
And makes me poor indeed. " 



*34 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Look again at the brow of the flanderer, and 
you will fee another title of infamy — that of 
coward. He dares not fay to the face what he 
fo freely utters behind the back. Thus he bites 
the back. He refembles a fnappifh dog often feen 
in the ftreets, running after palTengers, and biting 
their heels. Furthermore, the flanderer is in the 
fight of God a murderer. He muft necefTarily 
hate the perfon flandered ; but " he who hateth 
his brother is a murderer." Injury is added to 
hatred, which renders the cafe worfe. Reputa- 
tion is more precious than life. Thus the man 
or woman who makes or vends a flander, muft 
be known and read of all men as a liar, coward, 
thief, and murderer. 

The flanderer' s tongue is a four-edged fword. 
It wounds the hand of him who ufes it; it 
wounds the ears of thofe who liften to it ; it 
wounds the heart of him who is the objecT: of 
the thruft ; it ftrikes at the throne of God, 
and breaks his law. Slander excludes the mifer- 
able perpetrator from the kingdom of heaven. 
" Who mall dwell in thy holy hill, O Lord?" 
u He that backbiteth not with his tongue " 
Death and life are in the power of the tongue. 
A wholefome tongue is a tree of life ; a polluted 
tongue is a upas of death. It may be warmed 
with a feraph's flame, or fet on fire of hell ; a 
world of iniquity, or a univerfe of good ; an 
unruly evil full of deadly poifon, or a well- 
ordered fyftem, tranfmitting the bleffings of an 
endlefs life. Therewith blefs we God even the 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



*35 



the Father, and therewith curfe we men made 
after the image of God. 

The Jewifh Rabbis tell the following ftory : 
" A certain man fent his fervant to market to 
buy fome good food. The fervant returned, 
bringing with him fome tongues. Again he fent 
the fame fervant to buy fome bad food. The 
fervant again brought tongues. The mafter faid, 
4 What is the reafon, that when I fent you to buy 
good and bad food, you brought tongues ?' The 
fervant anfwered, 6 From the tongue both good 
and evil come to man. If it be good, there is 
nothing better ; if it be bad, there is nothing 
worfe.'" 



36 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




The tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt ; for the tree is known 
by his fruit." — Mat. xii. 33, "Every tree which bringeth 
not forth good fruit is hewn down, and can: into the fire." — 
Mat. iii. 10. 

THE TREE OF EVIL. 

Here, in dread filence, on the blighted heath, 
Behold ! the Tree of Evil, and of Death 5 
No heavenly breeze throughout the region blows j 
No life of Love exifts where'er it grows 5 
No flowers of Hope around it ever bloom ; 
No fruit of Faith e'er yields its rich perfume ; 
Fell Unbelief ftrikes deep its deadly root ; 
The branches bend with moft pernicious fruit j 
The Pride of Life, and Flefhly Lufts hang there, 
Emblems of mifery, anguifh, and defpair. 
Two men employed in different ways you fee, 
To rid the groaning earth of this bad tree : 
One, only lops a branch juft here and there, 
That makes its neighbour more productive bear ; 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



*37 



The other, by experience taught to know, 
Aims at the root his well-dire6ted blow ; 
Blow after blow through the wide heath refound, 
And with a cram, it falls and fhreds the ground. 

The Tree of Defolation ftands alone upon the 
blafted heath. It meds its baleful influence far 
and wide. No dewy meads, nor graffy plains, or 
verdant lawns, are feen around ; no blufhing 
fields, waving luxuriantly the golden ear ; no 
laughing flowers beftudding the earth with their 
ftarry gems ; nor fpicy groves breathing the odour 
of delight can live or flourifh here. The lowing 
kine, the bleating, fleecy tribe, the choral fong- 
fters of the woods, are never heard ; here, in 
thefe regions, eternal filence reigns. This corrupt 
tree is altogether of a poifonous quality. Its 
roots, bark, branches, leaves, and fruit, are all 
poifon. 

Two men are feen at work upon the tree ; 
their object is to deliver the country from fo great 
an evil. The one on the right hand has been 
employed many years, without effecting anything; 
he merely lops off a branch here and there : this 
only adds ftrength to the remaining branches, and 
makes them more fruitful ; meanwhile, the 
excifed limb fprouts again. The one on the left, 
more wife, wants to cut the tree down ; to this 
end, he comes prepared with a good (harp axe ; 
he directs his blows at the root of the tree ; blow 
follows blow in quick fucceffion, every ftroke 
tePs, and foon the monfter tree lies proftrate on 
the ground, 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



The Tree of Evil is an emblem of an evil 
heart ; the bad fruit, of a bad life. The uncon- 
verted man flieds a deleterious influence all around 
him. In his foul there is a lack of fpiritual 
graces ; faith, love, hope, peace, joy, long- 
fuffering, are all wanting.* A fpiritual death 
exifts. Unbelief is the poifon that corrupts the 
heart. Thoughts, words, actions, are all 
poifoned. Faith is put for the whole of religion, 
and unbelief for an ungodly life. Hence it is 
faid, " He that believeth mall be faved, &c. 

The fruit of the evil heart is the pride of life, 
i. e., a love of the honours and glories of the 
world j the luft of the flefh, i. e., intoxicating 
drink, gluttony, and adultery, and the various 
pleafures of fin; the lull of the eye, i.e., love of 
fine drefs, fine furniture, and the vanities of this 
life. He fpends his wretched ftrength for naught, 
who labours to reform his outward conduct only. 
He may make a good Pharifee, but he will never 
make a Chriftian. His heart ftill continues 
" deceitful and wicked." " Firft make the tree 
good, and the fruit will be good alfo." 

He alone is the wife man who " lays the axe 
at the root of the tree ; " who ftrikes at unbelief ; 
who believes the truth as it is in Jefus. He 
prays with David, " Create in me a clean heart," 
relying on the promife of God, " A new heart 
will I give unto you," Thus he is u created 
anew in Chrift Jefus unto good works." " He 
has his fruit unto holinefs, and the end everlafting 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



*39 



Travellers inform us of a poifon tree found in 
the ifland of Java, which is faid by its effluvia to 
have depopulated the country for twelve or 
fourteen miles around the place of its growth. 
It is called Bohan Upas. Poifoned arrows are 
prepared with the juice of it. Condemned 
criminals are fent to the tree to get this juice, 
carrying with them proper directions how to 
obtain it, and how to (ecure themfelves from the 
malignant exhalations ; and are pardoned if they 
bring back a certain quantity of the poifon ; but, 
by the regifter there kept, not one in four is faid 
to return. 



140 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




Anger refteth in the bofom of fools." — Eccl. vii. 9. " Ceafe 
from anger, and forfake wrath." — Ps. xxxvii. 6. 



ANGER, OR MADNESS. 

Upon the margin of the filvery flood, 
Come, fee the Lion in his wrathful mood. 
His roar terrific echoing rocks rebound, 
And nature trembles at the dreadful found ; 
His furious tail he works from fide to fide, 
His briftly mane he makes with awful pride ; 
His eyes, wild rolling, glare with ftartling light, 
With paw upraifed, he ftands prepared for fight. 
And wherefore ftands he thus with warlike look ? 
He fees his image in the quiet brook. 

Man, born to reafon, like the foolifh beaft, 
Lets rage hot boiling fefter in his breaft ; 
The caufe as futile : he himfelf poffefTd 
Of evil tempers, colours all the reft. 

Look ! here is the Lion, the king of beafts. 
See where he ftands, maddened with rage. The 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



141 



favage monarch is alone ; the beafts of the field 
hide themfelves when he is angry ; his dreadful 
roar makes them tremble in their dens ; the 
echoing hills reply to the found thereof. Now 
he becomes hot with paffion. He lames with 
his furious tail his heaving fides; he makes 
thunder from his ftiaggy mane ; his eyes dart 
lightning. See, he has raifed his murderous paw ; 
he is ready to grapple with his foe. Terrible he 
looks in the feafon of his wrath. 

But what has enkindled his rage ? What is 
the caufe of this fierce commotion ? Nothing 
but his own fhadow. He fees his reflected image 
in the placid ftream. Face anfwers to face ; every 
indication of paffion is faithfully reflected. He 
beholds no common foe. He prepares himfelf 
for mortal combat. 

The above engraving is an emblem of Anger, 
and of the worthlefs caufes that oftentimes give 
rife to it. Anger is one of the moft fierce and 
deadly paffions that agitate the human breaft and 
afflict mankind. Let anger afcend the throne of 
the human mind, and all other paffions, affections, 
and interefts are trampled under foot. A brother 
lies fwimming in his blood ; a village is depopu- 
lated with the edge of the fword ; cities burn 
amid the conflagration of fire ; and kingdoms, 
given over to the horrors of wrath, become de fo- 
late, pafs into oblivion, and are known no more. 
But who can declare the miferies that flow from 
anger ? 

Anger, as a finful paffion, is never jultifiable ; 



142 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



but it oftentimes exifts without any real caufe 
whatever. Like the lion in the picture, the man 
is angry at the reflection of himfelf ; it is his own 
image that he fees. He imagines, and this is all ; 
his own evil temper colours all befides. The 
object of his wrath is innocent, perhaps as quiet 
as an unruffled lake. 

Be fure, before you give way to anger, that 
your neighbour has injured you, and then — forgive 
him. But even if an apparent caufe does exift, 
fuppofe fome one has injured me. Is not this 
enough ? He that fmneth wrongeth his own 
foul ; mall I therefore fin and wrong mine ? To 
have an enemy is bad ; to be one is worfe. And 
why ftiould I inflict felf-puniftiment for the crime 
of another ? 

There is a degree of madnefs connected with 
anger. The angry man is brutiihly infane. This 
is fo wherever it is feen ; whether we regard it in 
the conduct of Xerxes, who flogged the waves, 
and caft fetters into the fea to bind it, becaufe it 
broke his bridge of boats, — or in its daily out- 
breaks around us. 

But is there no cure for this contagious evil ? 
There is. What is it ? When Athenodorus was 
about to retire from the court of Auguftus Caefar, 
he gave the emperor this advice : " Remember, 
whenever you feel angry, that you neither fay 
nor do anything until you have repeated all the 
letters of the alphabet. " This is good : but the 
following is better : When a man feels himfelf 
finking into the gulf of angiy palfion, looking by 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



H3 



faith on the Lord Jefus Chrift, let him exclaim : 
" Lord, fave or I perifh ! " The rifmg ftorm 
will pafs away, and all will be calm and peaceful. 

(S The wife will let their anger cool, 
At leaft before 'tis night j 
But in the bofom of a fool, 
It burns till morning light." 



" Anger and wrath, and hateful pride, 
This moment be fubdued : 
Be caft into the crimfon tide 
Of my Redeemer's blood/ 1 



144 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" The facrifices of God are a broken fpirit.'' — Ps. li. 17. " He 
that covereth his fins fhall not profper ; but whofo confefieth 
and forfaketh them fhall find mercy. - " — Prov. xxviii. 13. 

REPENTANCE. 

On bended knees, replete with godly grief, 
See, where the mourner kneels to feek relief j 
No " God, I thank thee," freezes on his tongue, 
For works of merit that to him belong $ 
Deep in his foul conviction's ploughfhare rings, 
And to the furface his corruption brings 5 
He loathes himfelf, in loweft duft he lies, 
And all abafed, " Unclean, unclean," he cries. 
From his full heart pours forth the gufhing plea, 
" God of the loft, be merciful to me ! ,? 
The light of life defcends in heavenly rays, 
And angels fhout, and fing, " Behold, he prays." 

Behold here an individual on his knees, 
weeping. He is in great diftrefs of mind ; he 



\ 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMSe 



145 



has retired from the bufy walks of life, and come 
to this place of folitude, to give vent to his feel- 
ings. His groans break the furrounding filence ; 
they return in foft, but melancholy echoes to his 
ears. Above his head are feen defcending particles 
of heavenly light ; a little in the rear ftands the 
plough, imbedded in the opening earth. 

This is an emblem of Repentance. The man 
bowed on his knees reprefents the true penitent, 
whofe foul is humbled under the mighty hand of 
God. He withdraws from the vanities of the 
world ; he is fick of fin ; he breaks the filence of 
folitude with his inquiries of, u O that I knew 
where I might find him ! " He does not, in the 
pride of felf-righteoufnefs, exclaim, " God, I thank 
thee that I am not as other men," &c. O no ! 
too deeply he feels the plague of his own heart. 

As the plough enters the hard foil, and lays 
bare furrow after furrow ; even fo has conviction 
penetrated the heart of the true penitent, and laid 
bare its deceitful folds, and discovered its once 
hidden depths of pollution and guilt. He abhors 
himfelf in duft and in afhes \ he can only fay, God 
be merciful to me a iinner. The ploughfhare of 
God's convicting fpirit has entered and broken 
up the fallow ground of his heart ; hence he 
brings the facrifice with which God is well 
pleafed — that is " a broken and contrite heart 
and the light of Jehovah's countenance falls full 
upon his foul, as a token of divine acceptance. 

Repentance confifts in a change of mind or 
purpofe, wherein the penitent u ceafes to do evil, 5 * 

L 



146 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

and u learns to do well." The prodigal repented 
when he faid, " I will arife and go to my father," 
and departed. The farmer's fon, who, when he 
had refufed to go and work in the vineyard, and 
afterwards altered his purpofe and went, repented. 
Saul of Tarfus, when he refufed any longer to 
obey the mandates of the chief priefts and fcribes, 
and inquired, u Lord, what wilt thou have me to 
do?" repented. Thus we fee it confifts in 
aftually doing the will of God. It is not mere 
anxiety : Simon Magus had this ; neverthelefs he 
was ftill in the "bonds of iniquity." Nor mere 
trembling : Felix trembled, yet retained his fins. 
Nor remorfe : Judas had this, and died in defpair ; 
and Dives alfo, though in the regions of the loft. 

Repentance is the gate of heaven. It is the 
condition, upon the fulfilment of which depends 
eternal life. u You repent, and I will forgive." 
Hence the ambafladors of Heaven have invariably 
directed the attention of finners to this as a firft 
ftep towards obtaining the favour of God, and 
every promifed blefling. The prophets, in their 
denunciations, John of the Defert, in his fiery 
exhortations, the Saviour, in his divine inftrudtions, 
and the apoftles, in their warm appeals, enjoined 
upon every foul "repentance toward God." 

Through this gate all have pafled who have at 
any time been recognized by the Almighty as his 
fervants. The children of Ifrael pafled through 
it, typically, when they ate the bitter herbs — 
before they beheld the pillars of cloud and of fire 
in the wildernefs ; Ifaiah, ere he touched the 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



facred harp of prophecy ; Elijah, ere he afcended 
in the chariot of ethereal fire ; Ezekiel, before he 
gazed upon the vifions of the Eternal ; Daniel, 
before the Angel of God pronounced him " BlefT- 
ed Paul, ere he was " caught up to the third 
heaven and John of Patmos, before the glori- 
ous revelations of cc Alpha and Omega " filled 
him with wonder and aftonifhment ; and " the 
hundred and forty- four thoufand," ere they fung 
the fong of Mofes and of the Lamb. Repentance 
is a facred duty. God " now commands all men 
everywhere to repent." Why ? " Becaufe all 
have finned, and come ftiort of the glory of 
God and, u Except ye repent, ye mall all 
likewife perifh." 



148 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




M The wicked flee when no man purfueth, but the righteous are 
as bold as a lion." — Prov. xxviii. 1. 

FEARFUL AND FEARLESS. 

Here is depicted plainly to the eye, 
The wicked fleeing when no foe is nigh. 
The thunder echoing in its deep-toned peals, 
Alarms his confcience, and awakes his heels. 
The wind low whittling through the hollow tree, 
A call from juftice is, from which they flee 5 
The rolling torrent, in its murmurs loud, 
Appears the fliout of the purfuing crowd 5 
Each object looming through the gloom of night, 
His fear increafes, and augments his flight. 
Not fo the Righteous 5 fee him walk along, 
Bold as a lion, as a mountain ftrong. 
Courageous heart, he fears no rude furprife, 
He trufts in Jefus, and all elfe defies. 

This engraving (hows a man running as it 
were for his life. On the other hand is feen one 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



I49 



who walks fteadily and boldly forward. The 
former is Fearful ; he is alarmed at every thing 
he fees and hears ; he is afraid of his own fhadow. 
The diftant echo of reverberating thunder ftrikes 
terror into his heart ; the autumnal breeze, ruft- 
ling through the falling leaves, makes him afraid ; 
the neighbouring torrent, as it tumbles down the 
mountain ravine, caufes him to fear. He cannot 
endure darknefs, neither can he bear the light. 
He is afraid of company, yet he fears to be left 
alone. Now he is fleeing when there is none 
purfuing. 

How different the fearlefs man ! See how 
boldly he walks along. The gloom of night is 
nothing to him : he appears to fear no evil. 
While others are running, he ftands his ground ; 
while they are afraid, his heart is ftrong. 

This emblem is defcriptive of two characters : 
of the Righteous and of the Wicked. It is the 
wicked who flee when none purfue. Their guilty 
confcience tranfforms every object into an enemy 3 
therefore they are in fear where no fear is, and 
flee away in terror. 

A Chriftian king of Hungary, talking one day 
with his brother, who was a gay, thoughtlefs cour- 
tier, upon the fubjecl: of a future judgment, was 
laughed at by his brother for indulging in " melan- 
choly thoughts. 35 The king made no reply. 
There was a cuftom in that country that if the 
executioner founded a trumpet before any man's 
door, that man was led inftantly to death. The 
king ordered the trumpet to be founded that night 



150 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

before the door of his brother, who on hearing 
the difmal found, and feeing the meflenger of 
death, was greatly alarmed. He fprang into the 
prefence of the king, befeeching to know how he 
had offended. " Alas, my brother ! " replied the 
king, u you have never offended me ; but if the 
fight of my executioner is fo dreadful, mail not 
we, who have fo greatly offended God, fear to be 
brought before the judgment-feat of Chrift ?" 

M. Volney, a French infidel, it is well know 
was frightened during a ftorm, while fome 
Chriftian ladies, his fellow-paffengers, bore all 
with unruffled compofure. M. V oltaire, a 
Frenchman alfo, and of the fame ftamp, affefted 
to defpife the Chriftian religion during life ; yet 
on his death-bed he fent to Dr. Tronchin, a 
prieft, to adminifter to him the facrament. It 
was affirmed of him that he was afraid to be left 
alone in the dark. 

The righteous man is afraid of nothing but fin. 
He goes forward in the path of duty, though 
dangers grow thick around him. He enters the 
burning, fiery furnace, and grapples with its 
curling flames. He defcends into the den of 
lions, the king of beafts crouches at his feet. 
In the ftorm at midnight, toffed upon the raging 
billows, he is calm in the prefence of the God 
he ferves, and to whom he belongs. In earth- 
quake's mock, when temples are falling, earth 
opening, and ruin reigns around, he ftands 
fearlefs amid the defolation, exclaiming, "There- 
fore will we not fear, though the earth be 



religious Emblems. 



removed out of its place." Defcending the dark 
vale of death itfelf, he fays exultingly, " Though 
I walk through the valley and fhadow of death, 
I will fear no evil." And when the laft enemy 
ftands full in his prefence, he fings triumphantly : 

" Lend, lend your wings 5 I mount — I fly ! 
O grave, where is thy victory ? 
O death where is thy fling 



52 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS* 




They profefs that they know God ; but in works they deny 
him." — Titus i. 16, "If any love the world, the love of 
the Father is not in him." — -i John ii. 15. 

THE TWO WORLDLINGS. 

Lo ! here fpread out the plains of heavenly light, 
And narrow way, that ends where all is bright. 
Behold, with globes upon the lightfome green, 
To different work addreff'd, two men are feen. 
With carelefs eafe one rolls his globe along, 
And follows after full of mirth and long $ 
The other ftrives to move his world's vaft weight, 
Up-hill, toward the brightly mining gate : 
He ftrives in vain ; the globe, though in the track 5 
Still downward tending, drives him farther back, 
And though they feem contrary roads to go, 
They meet together in the vale below. 

Thus lome purfue an open courfe of fin - y 
Some Chrift profefs, yet hold the world within. 
Though thefe appear to play a different game, \ 
Their fate is equal, and their end the fame. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



1 S3 



In the engraving, two men are feen employed 
in rolling globes. The one on the right hand 
has very eafy work of it ; he is going down hill ; 
his globe rolls on rapidly. He follows after with 
great glee and merriment ; foon he is out of fight 
below. The man on the left is feen with his 
globe in the path that leads to the gate of bright- 
nefs. He is Arriving to make his way toward the 
gate of light, with the ponderous world before 
him. In vain he ftruggles, and heaves, and lifts ; 
it ftill preffes down upon him, and bears him 
backward, till at length he finds himfelf at the 
bottom of the valley, where he meets his neigh- 
bour, who laughs heartily at him for taking fo 
much trouble to effect, what he accomplimed fo 
eafily. 

This picture reprefents two kinds of worldly 
characters, who both equally mifs of heaven in 
the end. The gate of light mows the entrance 
to the New Jerufalem ; the pathway fignifies the 
way of holinefs, leading thereunto ; the man on 
the right, rolling his ball along fo gaily, reprefents 
the profeffed man of the world. He has chofen 
honours j riches , and pleafures for his portion. 
Thefe, combined, form the deity that he wor- 
fhips. Where they lead, he follows ; where they 
tarry, there he alfo abides ; hence he turns his 
back upon the way of life, and upon the glories 
of the upper world. He is no hypocrite — not 
he ; he glories in his conduct ; he will have 
nothing to do with church or minifter, prayer- 
book or Bible. He fays in his heart, " There is 



154 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



no God," and calling off all fears, he hafrens 
down the road that leads to death, and receives 
the doom which awaits " all thofe who forget 
God." 

He on the left reprefents one who, while pro- 
felTedly a follower of Chrift, yet loves the honours^ 
riches , and pleafures of the world. He thinks 
the Bible may be a true book, and heaven worth 
having when he can have no more of earth, 
therefore he is found in the way. He profefTes 
to love God, but in works he denies him ; he 
makes, confequently, no progrefs heavenward, 
The world is too much for him ; it obtains more 
and more power over him, until it, after having 
made him miferable on earth, finks him into the 
gulf of woe, where he receives his portion with 
the " hypocrites and unbelievers " 

When in the light of faith divine, 

We look on things below, 
Honour, and gold, and fenlual joy, 

How vain and dangerous too ! 

Honour's a puff of noify breath $ 

Yet men expofe their blood, 
And venture everlafting death, 

To gain that airy good. 

While others ftarve the nobler mind, 

And feed on mining duft, 
They rob the ferpent of his food, 

T' indulge a fordid luft. 

The pleafures that allure our fenft 

Are dangerous mares to fouls j 
There's but a drop of flattering fweet, 

And dafh'd with bitter bowls. 

Dr. Watts. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



155 




44 Seed thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works 
was faith made perfed;?" — James ii. 22. 



FAITH AND WORKS. 

Lo ! where the Boatman ftems the flowing tide, 
And aims direcl his little bark to guide 5 
With both oars working he can headway make, 
And leave the waters foaming in his wake ; 
But if one oar within the boat he lays, 
In ufelefs circles round and round he plays. 
So Faith and Works, when both together brought, 
With mighty power, and heavenly life are fraught, 
To help the Chriftian on his arduous road, 
And urge him forward on his way to God : 
If Faith or Works, no matter which, he dfops, 
Short of his journey's end he furely flops. 

Look at the honeft waterman plying at his 
daily occupation. He has juft left a palTenger 
on the other fide. See with what precifion he 



156 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

guides his little boat. By pulling both oars with 
equal ftrength, he makes rapid progrefs, and 
fleers ftraight. He leaves the waters foaming in 
his track ; this is called his wake. If he mould 
lay in either of his oars, his progrefs would at 
once be flopped. As long as he plies both, he 
goes a-head ; but let him pull but one ever fo 
hard, and he could not advance a foot. Round 
and round he would float, in eddying circles, for 
ever. In vain would his paffengers await his 
arrival — in vain would his wife and little ones 
expert his return ; he would never more return ; 
probably drift out to fea, and be loft in the 
immenfity of old ocean. 

The above engraving is an emblem of Faith 
and Works united. The Chriftian has a " call- 
ing," or occupation, in which he makes progrefs 
fo long as faith and works are united. They are 
to him as a propelling power, urging him forward 
in his pathway to immortality. He exerts a 
holy influence wherever he goes, and leaves a 
brilliant track behind him. It is feen that a man 
of God has been there. But let him lay in one 
of his oars ; let it be faid of him, " He hath left 
off to do good," and his progrefs in the divine 
life will at once be checked. Let him lay afide 
" Faith," and the effect will be the fame. He 
may, indeed, go round and round, like a mill- 
horfe, in a circle of dry performances, but he 
will never reach the Chriftian's home. In vain 
will his friends, who have gone before him, 
expe£t his arrival ; he will never fee the King in 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



J 57 



his beauty. The current of fin will bear him 
outward, and downward, and land him eventually 
in the gulf of the loft. 

Some there are who have u faith," yet who 
are deftitute of "good works." "The devils 
believe," but they neither love nor obey — devils 
they continue. Deifts again, men who believe 
in the being and unity of God, but reject the 
Bible as an infpired book, have faith. But are 
their works perfect [good] before God ? — will 
their faith fave them ? All antinomians are of 
this clafs. 

Some, on the other hand, ftrive to abound in 
" works," who yet are deftitute of " faith." 
Cain, who brought his offering, and flew his 
brother Abel, was of this clafs. The Pharifees, 
who paid tithes of all they poffeffed, and who 
cried out, M Crucify him ! Crucify him ! " were 
alfo of this number. The profeffors of " good 
works," in our own day, who have no true faith 
in Chrift, are of this number ; for all offerings 
whatfoever, that are not perfumed with the odour 
of Chrift' s facrifice, they are an abomination to 
the Lord. 

In Abraham we fee faith and works admirably 
combined. " He believed God, and it was 
counted to him for righteoufnefs," " and he was 
juftified by works, when he had offered Ifaac his 
fon upon the altar." " Thus faith wrought 
with his works, and by works was faith made 
perfect." 

In fine, where there is a fcriptural " faith," 



I58 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

that faith which is the evidence or conviction of 
unfeen realities, there will be u works " corre- 
fponding thereto, as furely as there is life while 
the foul is in the body. 

On the other hand, where there is no true 
faith, there can be no u works " acceptable to 
God, no more than there can be life when the 
foul has left the body. " For as the body without 
the fpirit is dead, fo faith without works is dead 
alfo." 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



159 




" With a furious man thou fhalt not go." — Prov. xxii. 24. " The 
limple pafs on, and are punifhed." — Prov. xxii. 3. 

PRECIPITATION, OR RASHNESS. 

Behold the ram, impetuous charioteer. 
Who recklefs urges on his wild career j 
Dangers and darknefs thick around him grow, 
High cliffs above, and yawning gulfs below j 
Yet much at eafe. In neither fear nor pain, 
He fmacks his whip, and freely gives the rein 5 
Rocks, vaft, precipitous, he dafhes by, 
But frightful chafms now before him lie j 
Down, down the dreadful precipice he flies, 
And, darned to pieces, for his raftvnefs dies. 

Thus wilful youth to pafTion gives the reins, 
And lengthened grief, for pleafures fhort, obtains ; 
By paflion drawn, before he's well aware, 
He links o'erwhelm'd in mifery and defpair. 

The youth above is feen driving furioufly along 
paths replete with danger. The road, if road it 



l60 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

may be called, becomes more and more hazardous. 
He labours not to curb the fiery fteeds, whofe 
fpeed increafes every moment. Inftead of 
reftraining them, he cracks his whip, and 
loofely gives the rein. He appears to be wholly 
unconfcious of his imminent peril. Abrupt cliffs 
hang over his head, and deep, awful ravines open 
on each fide of his path. His fituation becomes 
ftill more dangerous ; right a-head a frightful gulf 
prefents itfelf to his eyes, now beginning to open. 
With the rapidity of lightning he approaches the 
dreadful brink; on the courfers fly. Now he 
fees his danger, and Arrives to check them. It is 
in vain ; they have had the rein too long ; their 
blood is up. With a fearful bound, over the 
precipice they go ; horfes and driver are dafhed to 
atoms againft the rocks, and are feen no more. 

Ancient philofophers ufed to compare human 
pafiions to wild horfes, and the reafon of man to 
the driver, or coachman, whofe bufinefs it was to 
control and guide them at his pleafure. But 
many men have more command over their horfes 
than they have over themfelves. This is a 
melancholy truth. Their proud chargers are 
taught to ftand ftill, to gallop, to trot, and to 
perform, in fhort, all kinds of evolutions with 
perfe£l eafe ; while the pafiions run away with 
their rightful owners ; they will not fubmit to be 
guided by reafon. It is of far more importance 
that a man fhould learn to govern his pafiions 
than his horfes. Our pafiions, like fire and 
water, are excellent fervants, but bad matters. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



161 



Horfes, to be ufeful, muft be governable ; but to 
be governable, they muft be broke in betimes, 
and thoroughly. So with the paffions, otherwife 
their power will increafe over that of reafon, and 
in the end lead to ruin. 

Philofophy may do much in enabling us to 
govern the paffions ; religion, however, can do 
more. It is faid of Socrates, who had a wretched 
fcold for a wife, that one day, when fhe was 
fcolding him at a great rate, he bore it very 
patiently, controlling himfelf by reafon. His 
unruffled compofure enraged her ftill more, and 
fhe threw a bowl of dirty water in his face. 
Then he fpoke. " It is quite natural," faid he 
fmiling, a when the thunder has fpent its fury, 
and the lightning its fires, that the teeming 
mower mould defcend." 

But religion is more eafily obtained than philo- 
fophy, and it is far more powerful. It imparts a 
gracious, influential principle that enables whofo- 
ever fubmits to it to govern his paffions, and 
even to love his enemies, and thus to conquer 
them. 

Many have conquered kingdoms, who could 
not conquer themfelves. Thus Alexander, who, 
being a flave to his paffions, flew Clytus, his 
mo ft intimate friend. And, notwithftanding the 
laurels that have been woven for the conquerors 
of ancient and modern times, the Almighty him- 
felf has prepared a diadem of glory for the felf- 
conquered, bearing in letters of heavenly light 

M 



l62 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



this infcription : " He that ruleth his own fpirit is 
better than he that taketh a city." 

Madnefs by nature reigns within, 

The paffions burn and rage ; 
Till God's own Son, with (kill divine, 

The inward fire alTuage. 

We give our fouls the wounds they feel, 

We drink the poifonous gall, 
And rufh with fury down to hell, 

But heaven prevents the fall. 

Dr. Watts. 




** Wherefore do ye fpend money for that which is not bread ? and 
your labour for that which fatiffieth not?" — Isa. Iv. 2. 

VAIN PURSUITS. 

The truant urchin has forfook the fchooL, 
To learn betimes how beft to play the fool j 
O'er hedge and brake, beneath a burning iun, 
With breathlefs haffe, he perleveres to run j 
His folly's caufe is pictured to the eye : 
The object what ? — A painted butterfly. 
At length outipent, he grafps the trembling things 
And with the grafp, deftroys the painted wing ; 
Chagrined he views, for that once beauteous form. 
Nothing remains, except a homely worm. 

So larger children leave important deeds, 
And after trifles oft the truant fpee-ds 5 
And if by toil he gains the gaudy prize, 
Alas ! 'tis changed — it fades away, and dies. 

The foolifh boy, leaving the ufeful and de- 
lightful pleafures of ftudy, runs after a pretty 
butterfly that has attracted his attention. On he 
m 2 



164 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



runs, through brake and brier, over hedges and 
ditches, up hill and down dale ; the fun, at the 
fame time, pours down its burning rays upon his 
uncovered head. See how he fweats, and puffs, 
and toils ! ? Tis all in vain — juft as he comes up 
with the prize, away it flies far above his reach. 
Still he follows on ; now it has fettled upon a 
favourite flower. He is fure of it now ; he puts 
forth his hand. Lo ! it is gone. Still he pur- 
fues — on and on he runs after the glittering in- 
fect. Prefently it alights, and hides itfelf within 
the leaves of the lily of the valley. For awhile 
he lofes fight of it ; again he difcovers it on the 
wing, and again he renews the chafe. Nor is it 
until the fun defcends the weftern fky, that he 
comes up with the objecT: of his laborious race. 
Weary of the wing, the butterfly feeks fhelter 
for the night within the cup of the mountain 
blue-bell. The boy, marking its hiding-place, 
makes a defperate fpring, and feizes the trembling 
beauty. In his eagernefs to poffefs it, he has 
cruftied its tender wings, and marred entirely 
thofe golden colours. With deep mortification, 
and bitter regret at his folly, he beholds nothing 
left but a mere grub, an almoft lifelefs worm, 
without form and without lovelinefs. 

This emblem aptly mows the folly of thofe 
who, whether young or old, leaving the folid 
paths of knowledge, of induftry, and of lawful 
pleafure, follow the vanities of this life. Cor- 
rupt and unbridled paflions and vitiated taftes 
lead, in the end, to ruin. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



165 



The way of tranfgreffors is hard, as well as 
foolifh and vain. To follow after forbidden ob- 
jects is far more laborious than to purfue thofe 
only that are lawful. It is faid of wifdom, that 
all her ways are ways of pleafantnefs, that all her 
paths are paths of peace. 

The mind of the youth who is in purfuit of 
vanities, or of unlawful pleafures, is ever raging, 
like a temp eft. Now up, now down — he knows 
nothing of true pleafure, nothing of folid peace. 
The obje£t he defires and purfues fo ardently 
mocks him again and again. a To-morrow," he 
fays to himfelf, " will give me the object of my 
wilhes." To-morrow comes — once more it 
eludes his grafp. Now he becomes uneafy, then 
impatient, then fretful, then anxious, and then 
defperate ; now he refolves at all hazards to feize 
upon the prize — it is his own ; but ah ! the flow- 
ers have faded, the beautiful colours have difap- 
peared ; the angel of beauty is tranfformed into a 
loathfome object. His eyes are opened ; and, 
alas ! too late, difappointed and remorfeful, he 
learns the truth of the maxim, that " it is not all 
gold that glitters." 

Man has a foul of vaft defires ; 
He burns within with reftlefs fires : 
TofPd to and fro, his pafiions fly 
From vanity to vanity. 

In vain on earth we hope to find 
Some folid good to fill the mind ; 
We try new pleafures, but we feel 
The inward thirft and torment ftiil. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



So when a raging fever burns, 

We fhift from fide to fide by turns J 

And 'tis a poor relief we gain, 

To change the place but keep the pain. 

Great God ! fubdue the vicious thirft, 
This love to vanity and duft ; 
Cure the vile fever of the mind, 
And feed our fouls with joys refined. 

Dr. Watts. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 




" The high ones of ftature fhall be hewn down, and the haughty 
lhail be humbled." — Isa. x. 33. 

DANGER OF GREATNESS. 

The clouds affembie in the blackening weft, 
Anon with gloom the Iky becomes o'ercaft. 
United winds with wide-mouttfd fury roar, 
Old ocean, rolling, heaves from more to more ; 
With boiling rage the waves begin to rife, 
And ruffian billows now affail the ikies 5 
The hardy forefts, too, affrighted quake, 
The hills they tremble, and the mountains make ; 
The oak majeftic, towering to the fkies, 
Laughs at the whirlwind, and the ftorm defies : 
Spreads wide its arms, rejoicing in its pride, 
And meets unbending the tornado's tide j 
The winds prevail, one loud tremendous blow 
The monarch proftrates, and his pride lays low j 
While the low reed, in far more humble form, 
Unknown to greatnefs, fafe, outlives the ftorm. 

The ftorm rages. The fturdy oak, the growth 



i68 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



of centuries, lifts its proud head towering to the 
heavens ; it fpreads abroad its ample branches, 
giving (belter to birds and beafts. For a long 
time it refifts the fury of the hurricane, but 'tis 
all in vain : with a mighty cram it is overturned ; 
its very roots are laid bare, its branching honours 
are brought low ; birds, beafts, and creeping 
reptiles now trample upon its fallen greatnefs. 

But fee: the humble reed, bending to the 
ftorm, efcapes unhurt. Its lowly pofition has 
preferved it from deftruction ; while its mighty 
neighbour is no more. It ftill lives, and grows, 
and flourifhes. 

This is an apt emblem of the danger attending 
upon high ftations, and of the fecurity afforded 
in the lefs elevated walks of life. It is calculated 
to damp the ardour of ambition, of, at leaft, that 
ambition that feeks to be great only that felf may 
be enriched, or vanity gratified. 

This kind of greatnefs is indeed the moft 
dangerous, and the moft uncertain. It is fure to 
be a mark for others, equally afpiring and unprin- 
cipled, to moot at ; while the poffeffor of this 
greatnefs, not being protected by the fhield of 
confcious integrity, falls to rife no more, and the 
flatterers and dependants being no longer able to 
enrich themfelves, unite in trampling under foot 
the man they formerly delighted to honour. 

Love is not an evil of itfelf, neither is am- 
bition ; they may both be expended on worthlefs 
or finful objects. Let the youth feek out a 
proper object for the lofty afpirings of the foul ; 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



169 



let him learn to direct them by the providence 
and word of God. True greatnefs confifts in 
goodnefs — in being ufeful to mankind. Thofe 
individuals ufually called great have been the 
deftroyers, not the benefactors of our race. A 
private ftation is as much a poft of honour as the 
mo ft elevated. Indeed, properly fpeaking, there 
are no private ftations ; every man is a public 
man, and equally interefted with others in the 
welfare and progrefs of his fellows. The lowly 
reed is as perfect in its kind as the lofty oak, and 
anfwers equally the end of its creation. 

It is true, however, that the more elevated the 
ftation a man holds in.fociety, the more refponfi- 
bility he is under both to God and man. He is 
alfo expofed to more dangers and temptations. 
Envy, that hates the excellence (he cannot reach, 
will carp at him, and flander fhoot her poifoned 
arrows at him. Happinefs feldom dwells with 
greatnefs, nor is fafety the child of wealth and 
honours. u But he that humbleth himfelf — in 
due time — fhall be exalted." 

A ftriking inftance of the danger of greatnefs 
may be found in the fall of Cardinal W olfey. 
This ambitious man lived in the reign of Henry 
VIII., king of England. He was that monarch's 
favourite minifter. He is faid to have been 
" infatiable in his acquifitions, but ftill more 
magnificent in his expenfes; of great capacity, 
but ftill more unbounded in enterprife ; ambitious 
of power, but ftill more ambitious of glory." He 
fucceeded — he was raifed to the higheft pinnacle; 



1 7 o 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



but he fell under the difpleafure of the king. 
The inventory of his goods being taken, they 
were found to exceed the moft extravagant 
furmifes. Of fine holland, there were found 
eleven hundred pieces ; the walls of his palace 
were covered with cloth of gold and filver ; he 
had a cupboard of plate, all of ma fly gold ; and 
all the reft of his riches and furniture were in the 
fame proportion ; all of which were converted to 
the ufe of the king. A bill of indictment was 
preferred againft him , he was ordered to refign 
the great feal, and to depart from his palace. 
Soon after he was arretted for high treafon, and 
commanded to be conducted to London to take 
his trial. 

When he arrived at Leicefter Abbey he was 
taken fick — men faid he poifoned himfelf. His 
diforder increafed. A fhort time before he 
expired, he faid to the officer who guarded him : 
u O had I but ferved my God as faithfully as I 
have ferved my king, he would not have forfaken 
me in my grey heirs/' He died fhortly after, in 
all the pangs of remorfe, and left a life rendered 
miferable by his unbounded ambition for great- 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



I 7 I 




M For every one that doeth evil hateth the light." — John iii. 20. 
GUILT, 

In fplendour rifing, view " the king of day,' 1 
And darknefs chafing from the earth away 5 
The beaft of prey efcapes before the fun, 
To thicker!: covert, ere his work is done ; 
The birds of night now flee away apace, 
And hide fecureiy in fome gloomy place ; 
While the blithe lark, elate, pours forth its lays, 
And warbles to the fun its notes of praife. 

So guilty men purfue, in devilifh mood, 
The trade of plunder, and the deed of blood $ 
They work in darknefs without fhame or fear, 
And Ikulk in darknefs when the day draws near ; 
While confcious innocence walks forth upright, 
And, like the lark, rejoices in the light. 

See where the glorious fun is riling in majefly 
and ftrength. Darknefs has fled from his pre- 
fence, and now there is nothing hid from his rofy 



172 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



light. See the beaft of prey flinking off to his 
den. Stung with hunger, and athirft for blood, 
he roamed round in the darknefs of night. 
Lighting upon a fheepcote, he breaks into the 
enclofure ; the Meeting, helplefs lambs become 
his prey ; fome he devours, others he leaves 
mangled and torn upon the ground. Detected 
by the light, he fneaks away ; he plunges into the 
foreft, and hides him in its thickeft made. 

The birds of night— the bat and others — fly 
away before the rifing light. The mufic of the 
awakening choir, blooming fields, and fpicy 
gardens, poffefs no charms for them. Mouldering 
ruins, among thickeft fhades, where the toad 
finds a ftielter, and the ferpent hifTes— this is 
their favourite dwelling-place ; while the gay 
lark, high mounting, pours forth his praifes to 
the folar king. He is gladdened by his beams, 
and welcomes his approach with all the melody of 
fong. 

u Thou, O Lord, makeft darknefs, and it is 
night, wherein all the beafts of the foreft do 
creep forth. The fun arifeth, they gather them- 
felves together, and lay them down in their dens." 

The engraving is emblematical of guilt ; for 
happy would it be for mankind, were the beafts 
of prey and birds of night the only difturbers of 
the world's repofe — the only deftroyers that walk 
abroad in darknefs. Alas ! 

I" When night 

Darkens the ftreets, then wander forth the fons 
Of Belial, flown with infolence and wine." 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



*73 



Then, too the robber goes forth to perpetrate 
his deeds of violence and rapine ; then, too, the 
adulterer, and kindles a fire that will burn to the 
loweft hell ; and, fhrouded in the mantle of 
night, the man of blood ftalks forth, and works 
his deeds of death. 

In this way, man, made in the image of God, 
becomes allied to the molt malignant part of the 
brute creation, companions, and co-workers with 
them. What degradation ! Alas, alas ! how are 
the mighty fallen ! 

Look again at the folly and ignorance of 
wicked men in fuppofing themfelves concealed, 
becaufe they cannot fee. It is related of the 
oftrich, that me covers her head only with reeds, 
and, becaufe (he cannot fee herfelf, thinks me is 
hid from the eye of her purfuers. Thus it is 
with the workers of iniquity in the night-time ; 
they may indeed be hid from the fleeping eyes of 
mortals, but the ever-wakeful eye of Jehovah 
looks full upon them. When they fay, " Surely 
the darknefs mail cover me," even then " the 
night is light " all around them. " Clouds and 
darknefs are round about Him ; " they are 
Jehovah's habitation, therefore what is miftaken 
for a covering is the prefence-chamber of the 
Holy God, who cc compaffeth thy path, and thy 
lying down, and who is acquainted with all thy 
ways." 

" Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, 
neither cometh to the light, left his deeds mould 
be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to 



*74 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



the light, that his deeds may be made mani 
that they are wrought in God." 

" When men of mifchief rife 

In fecret 'gainft the flues, 
Thy hand mail fweep them to the grave j 

And oh ! beyond the tomb, 

How dreadful is their doom, 
Where not a hand is reached to fave ! " 



" His enemies, with fore difmay, 
Fly from the light, and fhun the day : 
Then lift your heads, ye faints, on high, 
And fmg, for your redemption's nigh," 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



175 




" Be patient in tribulation." — Rom. xii. 12. "An example of 
fufFering, affliction, and patience. Behold, we count them 
happy who endure." — James v. 10, 11. 

PATIENCE AND LONG-SUFFERING. 

With fore afflictions, and with injuries too, 
One deeply loaded, in the picture view ; 
Above, beneath, and reigning all around, 
Trouble, and chains, and flanderous foes are found ; 
Her own iweet home no more a fhelter (lands, 
Confumed by fire, it falls by cruel hands : 
Amid this widely devaluating fliroke, 
No cry is heard, no voice of murmur fpoke ; 
Like the mild lamb that crouches by her fide, 
She bears with meeknefs all that may betide 5 
She leans on Hope, and upward calls her eyes, 
Expecting fuccour from the diftant fkies. 

The above engraving reprefents a female, 
loaded with a heavy burden of afflictions and 



176 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



injuries ; faft bound by chains and fetters of iron, 
me is unable to help herfelf. Before her lie 
whips, chains, and flanders ; behind, her houfe, 
her only afylum, is on fire. Ignited by wicked 
hands, it falls a prey to the devouring flames \ 
while the barking cur aflails her with all his fpite. 
In the midft of her wide-fpread calamity, me 
murmurs not, me makes no complaint. Like 
the innocent lamb at her fide, me bears all 
without repining. She leans on the anchor of 
hope, and looks upward. 

This is an emblem of Patience and Long- 
fuffering. The figure reprefents one who is 
oppreffed with manifold wrongs, upon whofe 
moulders is laid a heavy burden of grievous out- 
rages, and who is incapacitated, by the force of 
circumftances, from extricating herfelf; at the 
fame time, (he difcovers that ihe has not yet 
drunk the full cup of her woes. Other evils lie 
in profpecT: before her. 

One, who, inftead of receiving the commifera- 
tion and afliftance of her neighbours in the feafon 
of adverfity, is affailed with the venom of the 
flanderer, the malice of the backbiter, and the 
wickednefs of the incendiary ; but who, in the 
midft of her fufferings, refufes to complain. 
Though caft down, perfecuted, and perplexed, 
me yields not in defpair. With lamb-like meek- 
nefs, fhe arms her breaft, and pofleffes her foul 
in patience. All-fuftaining hope imparts new 
ftrength to her fpirits ; ihe commits herfelf to 
God, who judgeth righteoufly ; and looking to 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



*77 



God for grace to enable her to endure till he fhall 
fend deliverance, calmly awaits the iflue. 

Wicked and unreafonable men abound in the 
world, and the path of duty is often befet with 
prefent difficulties and dangers ; yet it ends where 
all is eafy and delightful. Let no one recede from 
the path of duty, nor tamely yield to defpair. 
We may be tempted to flee, like the prophet 
Jonah, from our proper work ; like Jofhua, we 
may throw ourfelves on the ground, and exclaim, 
defpondingly, " Alas, O Lord God!" Like 
David, we may fay, " I fhall perifh by the hand 
of Saul ; " or like Elijah, the fearlefs advocate of 
truth, fay inquiringly, a What good (hall my life 
do me ? " Yet let us remember, that " light is 
fown for the righteous." The feed of deliverance 
is already in the ground ; the crop is not far 
diftant ; we fhall reap, if we faint not. 

The conduct of Job affords the moft perfect 
example of patience. Defpoiled of his worldly 
property, his children taken from him at a ftroke, 
his body tormented with one of the moft painful 
and loathfome difeafes, diftrelTed by the foolifh 
infidelity of his wife, and flandered by his profeffed 
friends : yet his patient foul triumphed over all. 
Still clinging to God his Rock, he exclaimed 
exultingly, u Though he flay me, yet will I 
truft in him. The Lord gave, and the Lord 
hath taketh away : blefTed be the name of the 
Lord." 

" s In your patience, poffefs ye your fouls. 11 — Luke xxi. 19. 
N 



i 7 8 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



" Be patient, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. 11 — 

James v. 7. 

" Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have Ipoken in 
the. name of the Lord, for an exampie of fufFering affliction, 
and of patience. " — James v. 10. 

" Let us run with patience the race let before us ; look- 
ing unto Jeliis, the author and finifher of our faith j who, 
for the joy that was fet before him, endured the crofs, 
defpifmg the fhame, and is fet down at the right hand of 
the throne of God."- — Heb. xii. 1,2. 

66 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers 
temptations $ knowing this, that the trying of your faith 
worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, 
that ye may be perfecl and entire, wanting nothing. " — 
James i. 2, 3, 4. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



I 79 




" And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." — 
Matt. vi. 13. 

TEMPTATION. 

See where the tree its richer! foliage wears, 
And golden fruit its laden branches hears j 
Behold conceaPd beneath its made fidelong, 
The gloffy ferpent, with his poifonous tongue 5 
The fmrple boy, far from his father's care, 
Is well-nigh taken with the gilded mare. 
The tempting fruit, outfpread before his eyes, 
Fills him with rapture and complete furprife ; 
Nor hidden dangers will he w ait to fee, 
But onward haffens to the fatal tree. 
His father fees him, and, with faltering breath. 
Recalls his loved one from the brink of death, 
Nor waits reply, but on the fpot he fprings, 
And faves his darling from the ferpent 's ftings. 

The tree rich in foliage, and rich in fruit? 
fpreads out its delicious produce to the paffer by- 

N 2 



l8o RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

See alfo the fubtle ferpent, as if aware of the 
powerful attractions that the tree affords, conceals 
itfelf underneath its branches, ready to fpring upon 
the unwary traveller. That little boy has been 
in great danger ; he left the houfe, and wandered 
on till he came in fight of the tree ; the fruit 
attracted his attention ; he flopped ; he was de- 
lighted with its appearance. Thoughtlefs of dan- 
ger, he was juft going to pluck and eat, when the 
voice of his father alarmed him ; he had feen his 
danger. In another moment he was on the fpot, 
and feizing him by the hand, pointed out to 
him the ferpent, and led him from the place of 
danger. 

This is an emblem of Temptation — of the 
danger to which youth efpecially are expofed. 
The tree, with its rich foliage and golden fruity 
reprefents thofe things that are objects of tempta- 
tion. The ferpent, (hows the danger that inva- 
riably attends thofe objects that entice to fin. 
The artlefs boy reprefents the fimplicity of youth, 
who, attracted by the outfide appearance of 
things, confiders not the evil of finful gratification. 
The anxious father exhibits the ever-watchful 
care of our Father who is in heaven over his 
children, whom, as long as they confide in him, 
he will deliver from evil. 

This emblem fets forth alfo fomewhat of the 
nature of temptation. Thus : the objeSf is pre- 
fented to the eye ; the mind takes pleafure in 
beholding it ; then the will confents to embrace 
it. " Then when luft hath conceived, it bringeth 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



forth fin ; and fin, when it is finifhed, bringeth 
forth death." 

The youthful Jofeph, when in the houfe of 
Potiphar the Egyptian, was affailed by temptation. 
The objecft was presented to him in its moft 
attractive form ; while mafter of himfelf, he fled 
from it, and efcaped. His memory is blefled. 

David, king of Ifrael, when walking upon the 
battlements beheld a fimilar object of temptation. 
He looked till the fire of luft was enkindled in 
his foul, and his will determined upon pofTeilion. 
Luft, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth fin; 
fin, when it is finifhed, bringeth forth death. 
This was to David the beginning of forrows. 

Temptation, at the commencement, is " like 
the thread of the fpider's web ; afterwards, it is 
like a cart-rope." The poor Have, Jofeph, 
broke the thread, and became a king, nay, more 
than a king ; while the king, David, was faft 
bound by the cart-rope, and became a Have. 

The theatre, the card-table, the intoxicating 
cup, the painted harlot, are all fo many objects 
of powerful temptation, under which lurks the 
ferpent with its fting of death. Fleeing to God, 
in Chrift, by earneft prayer, is the only way of 
efcape therefrom. 

How vain are all things here below ! 

How falfe, and yet how fair ! 
Each pleafure hath its poilbn too, 

And every fweet a fnare. 

The brighten: things below the Iky, 
Give but a nattering light j 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



We mould fufpe& fome danger nigh. 
Where we poffefs delight. 

# # % * # # 

Sin has a thoufand treacherous arts 

To praclife on the mind ; 
With flattering looks fhe tempts our hearts, 

But leaves a fting behind. 

She pleads for all the joys fhe brings, 

And gives a fair pretence ; 
But cheats the foul of heavenly things, 

And chains it down to fenfe. 

Dr. Watts, 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



183 




" See that ye walk circumfpe&ly." — Eph. v. 15. "A prudent 
man forefeeth the evil." — Prov. xxii. 3. 

PRUDENCE AND FORESIGHT. 

Where fome would thoughtlefs rum, with fkip and dance, 

See Prudence there with cautious fteps advance : 

Behind, the faithful mirror brings to view 

The roaring lion, that would her purfue ; 

Before, fhe knows, by telefcopic gials, 

How many things will fhortiy come to pafs 5 

Betimes, concealed where fragrant rofes hang, 

She fees the ferpent with his poifon'd fang : 

And thus fhe learns, what youth mould always know, 

That pleafures oft with fatal mares may grow. 

Prudence is here feen proceeding with flow 
and cautious fteps. She has in her right hand a 
telefcope, by means of which fhe is enabled to 
bring things that are far off nigh to view ; thus 
me fees things that would otherwife be hidden 
entirely from her fight ; while other things are 



184 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

magnified in their proportions, fo that ftie can 
difcern their nature more truly, and thus adapt 
her conduct to the circumftances of the cafe. 
In this manner me applies her wifdom to prac- 
tice. She carries alfo, in her left, a mirror, by 
which fhe is enabled to dete£t obje£ts that are 
behind her. A lion is difcovered defcending 
from the mountains, hungry, and ravening for its 
prey. Nor in her attention to remoter obje£ts 
is fhe regardlefs of thofe nigh at hand ; (he 
efpies concealed behind a rofe-bufh a ferpent ; it 
is of the dangerous kind. By her timely dif- 
covery, fhe faves herfelf from its poifonous fang. 

This is an emblem of Prudence ; for what is 
prudence but wifdom applied to pra£l*ice ? Wif- 
dom enables us to determine what are the belt 
ends, likewife what are the beft means to be ufed 
in order to attain thofe ends. But prudence 
applies all this to pra&ice, fuiting words and 
a£tions to time, place, circumftance, and manner. 
O ! how necefTary is prudence for the purpofes of 
the prefent life. Without prudence, the mighty 
become enfeebled, the wife become foolifh, and 
the wealthy, inhabitants of the poor-houfe. 

There are duties to be done, pleafures to be 
enjoyed, dangers to be guarded againft — all of 
which cannot be effected unlefs prudence guides 
the helm. Pleafures and dangers are fo artfully 
mingled together, as the ferpent among the rofes, 
that the prudent only can poffibly detect the 
fnare. The youth cannot be rich in experience ; 
ftill he can cultivate prudence, which will beget 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



an habitual prefence of mind, ever watchful and 
awake. Miffortunes are common to all \ the 
prudent, conlidering that he is not exempt from 
the common lot of mortals, will guard againft 
them ; and, as if they were fure to come, he 
will prepare himfelf to endure them. Like the 
mariner, who, when failing in windy latitudes, 
weeps the horizon with his telefcope to fee if 
there are figns of fqualls : towards evening he 
fhortens fail, fets his watch, and keeps a good 
look-out. 

Now, if prudence is fo neceflary and profitable 
when applied to the things of this life, it is much 
more fo when applied to the life which is to 
come, becaufe the foul is of more value than the 
body , and eternity of more importance than time. 
Events not contingent^ but certain^ will come 
upon us, againft which, if we are prudent we 
fhall provide — -events folemn^ momentous^ and 
deeply inter efting. What more folemn than 
death ? What more momentous than the judg- 
ment to come ? What more interefting to an 
immortal fpirit than the final hTues of that 
judgment ? Shall I my everlafting days with 
fiends or angels fpend ? cc The prudent man 
forefeeth the evil, and hideth himfelf. The 
fimpie pafs on, and are puniihed. 

" Oh may thy Spirit guide my feet 
In ways of righteoufneis ! 
Make every path of duty ftraight 
And plain before my face. 



i86 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



u My watchful enemies combine 
To tempt my feet aftray ; 
They flatter with a bafe dengn 
To make my foul their prey. 

" Lord, crufh the ferpent in the duft ? 
And all his plots deftroy ; 
While thofe that in thy mercy truft, 
For ever fhout for joy*" 



NT 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



187 




<4 The righteous fhall never be removed," — Prov. x. 30. 

" Behold, we count them happy who endure." — James v. ii. 

FORTITUDE AND CONSTANCY. 

As ftands the pillar on the folid ground, 
Nor heeds the temperl that prevails around, 
Unmoved, though tempefts blufter from on high, 
And thunders rolling make the trembling Iky : 
So Fortitude is ftrong in Virtue's caufe, 
Nor fears contempt, nor covets vain applaufe ; 
But when the ftorms of evil tongues prevail, 
And envy rifes like a furious gale, 
She bears on high her ample fpotlefs mi eld, 
Her own fair fame, and ftill difdains to yield : 
Enduring greatly, till the ftorm is gone, 
Then fees triumphant, that her caufe is won. 

Behold here the emblems of Fortitude and 
Conftancy. The pillar ftands upright amidft the 
ftorm, and upright in the midft of funftiine, 



i88 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



bearing the fummer's heat and the winter's cold, 
by night and by day ; ftill it ftands, regardlefs of 
paffing events, and anfwering at the fame time 
the end of its erection. Thus Conftancy con- 
tinues at the poft of duty. Fortitude is feen 
ftanding by the pillar of Conftancy. See how 
Ihe braves the fury of the Jtempeft ! Winds 
whiftle, thunders roll, and night feems gathering 
together a magazine of ftorms to let loofe upon 
her head ; yet me continues at the poft of patient 
endurance ; with her fhield fhe is enabled to 
prote£r. herfelf againft all the ftorms which beat 
around. 

Courage refifts danger; fortitude endures pain, 
either of the body or of the mind, or both. True 
fortitude is always connected with a holy, a 
righteous caufe. Adverfity, or oppofition, is the 
teft of fortitude and conftancy ; it is the fiery 
trial which tries the virtuous ; they come out of 
it as gold feven times purified, lofing nothing 
fave the alloy. Holinefs of chara£rer, faith in 
God's word, conftitute the fhield of Fortitude, 
and render her altogether invulnerable. 

It is eafy for a man to profefs attachment to a 
good caufe, when that caufe meets [with the 
general approbation. It is an eafy thing to boaft 
of virtue that has never been tried by temptation, 
and to exult in fortitude that has never had to 
bear the ftorm of oppofition ; but true fortitude 
is found to confift in fupporting evils with refig- 
nation, and in enduring oppofition with refolution 
and dignity. " He that lofeth wealth," fay the 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. l8g 

Spaniards, " lofeth much : he that lofeth his 
friends, lofeth more ; but he that lofeth his fpirit, 
lofeth all." The man of fortitude, ftrong in con- 
fcious integrity, and in the knowledge of the 
right, though wealth may defert him, though his 
friends may forfake him in his greateft need, yet 
he pojfejfes his foul in patience ; he rejoices that 
his foul is free. The caufe of truth he knows 
can never fall. This makes him magnanimous, 
both to do and to dare. 

One of the moft confpicuous inftances of true 
fortitude is found in the conduct of the Apoftle 
Paul. After having for fome time ferved the 
Church at Ephefus, his duty called him to 
Jerufalem, where he knew he was to encounter 
the deadly oppofition of his enemies. Before he 
fet out, he preached his farewell fermon. The 
people were greatly affected. The thoughts of 
lofing their beloved paftor, and of the dangers 
that awaited him, melted them into tears, "They 
all wept fore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kiffed 
him, borrowing moft of all for the words which 
he fpake, that they mould fee his face no more." 
Thefe circumftances were fufficient to have 
overwhelmed the ftouteft heart. Paul's reply is 
the language of true fortitude : " Bonds and 
afflictions await me ; but none of thefe things move 
me; neither count I my life dear unto me, fo 
that I may finim my courfe with joy." 

" Befet with threatening dangers round, 
Firm Fortitude maintains her ground : 
Her confcience holds her courage up. 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



The foul's that's filPd with virtue's light, 
Shines brighter! in affliction's night $ 
And fees in darknefs beams of hope. 

" 111 tidings never can furprife 
That heart that fix'd on God relies ; 

Though waves and tempefts roar around, 
Safe on the rock he ftands, and fees 
The fhipwreck of his enemies, 

And all their hope and glory drown'd." 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



I 9 I 




" Both fure and fteadfaft." — Heb. vi. 19. 

THE FAST-ANCHORED SHIP. 

Lo ! where the war-fhip, with her tattered fail, 
Has late efcaped the fury of the gale 3 
At anchor fafe within the bay me rides ; 
Nor heeds the danger of the fweliing tides : 
Though high aloft the furious ftorm frill roars, 
Below, fhe's flickered by the winding fhores. 

The church of Chrift a war-fhip is below, 
She fpreads her fails to meet her haughty foe ; 
Satan aiTails her with his furious blafls, 
Her fails are riven, broken are her mails : 
A night of darknefs finds her in fome bay, 
She drops her anchors, and awaits the day j 
Faith, Hope, and Prayer, her fteadfaft anchors prove, 
With Relignation to the powers above. 

This engraving reprefents a fhip riding by 
four anchors. To efcape the rage of the ftorm 



I92 RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 

at fea, me has fought fhelter in the bay. Her 
fails are torn, and cordage damaged ; fhe needs 
to undergo repairs. The gale ftill howls fear- 
fully overhead ; but protected by the land, fhe 
rides comparatively in fmooth water. 

The Church of God may be compared to a 
(hip, and to a fhip of war, built by the great 
Architeft who made heaven and earth — firft 
launched when Adam fell overboard — chartered 
by divine love to take him in, with all his be- 
lieving pofterity, and convey them to the port of 
glory. 

Jehovah is her rightful owner ; Immanuel is 
her captain ; the Holy Spirit is her pilot ; the 
Holy Bible is both chart and compafs ; felf-ex- 
amination is her log-book ; her pole-ftar is the 
ftar of Bethlehem. Under her great Captain, 
the minifters of religion take rank as officers ; 
befides whom, there are a number of petty offi- 
cers. Her crew confifts of all thofe who " fol- 
low the Captain." PafTengers, fhe carries none 
— all on board are " working hands." 

This world is the tempeftuous fea over which 
(he makes her voyages. It is a dangerous fea ; 
rocks, fhoals, and quickfands hide their deceitful 
heads beneath its dark blue waves ; mountainous 
billows roll, furious ftorms defcend, and treache- 
rous whirlpools entice only to deftroy. 

The voyage is from time to eternity. The 
good fhip never puts back; well flocked, fhe 
carries bread of life, and waters of falvation, in 
abundance ; no " foutherly wind" ever affiidts 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



193 



her. The Church is a {hip of war ; (he carries 
a commiffion, authorizing her to w fink, burn, 
and deftroy," whatever belongs to Beelzebub, 
the great enemy of mankind, and to {hip hands 
in every quarter ; therefore, Beelzebub, being a 
" prince of the power of the air," comes out 
againft her, armed with the four winds of heaven, 
and attacks her as he did the houfe of Job's 
eldeft fon. 

Bravely does {he behave amid the ftorm. She 
would weather the gale, were it not that there is 
treachery on board ; fome u Achan" compels her 
to w about fhip/' She runs into the bay of Pro- 
mife, and cafts firft of all the anchor of Hope. 
Though u perplexed," {he is not in defpair." 
Hope is as an anchor to the foul in the day of 
adverhty. Hope, however, is not fufficient ; 
another anchor divides the parting wave, even 
that of Faith. Faith takes hold of the promifes 
made to the Church in hex times of trial, efpe- 
cially this one : w Call upon me in the day of 
trouble, and I will deliver thee." Prayer^ con- 
fequently, is " let go" next. Ah ! now me 
" takes hold on God j" now the velTel rightens ; 
now Die is fteady. Neverthelefs, me is not yet 
delivered. What more can fhe do ? There is 
yet one more anchor on board : Rejignation^ laft 
of all, is received by the yielding wave. The 
good {hip has done her duty ; now {he may lie 
{till, and wait for the falvation of God. Soon it 
comes ; heavenly breezes fill her flowing fails ; 
me is again under weigh for the port of glory : 

o 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



" Where all the (hip's company meet 

Who iail'd with their Saviour beneath ; 
With ihouting each other they greet, 

And triumph o'er trouble and death. 
The voyage of life's at an end, 

The mortal affliction is paft, 
The age that in heaven they fpend 

For ever and ever mall raft." 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



'95 




Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit." — Eph. iv. 3. 
"So we, being many, are one body in Chrift." — Rom. xii. 4. 

UNANIMITY. 

Look ! where the foldiers form a hollow fquare ? 
And thus the fortunes of the day repair 5 
On every r fide a briftling front prefent, 
On which the fury of the foe is fpent y 
" Union is ftrength" — 'gainft odds they win the day, 
And proud their banners o'er the field difplay : 
The camp, the Chriftian Church may fometimes teach, 
To gain a triumph, or to mount a breach : 
So when the armies of the crofs unite, 
They quickly put the alien foe to flight j 
When, up and doing, united and awake, 
They drive back Satan, and his kingdom make 5 
The flandard-bearer with his brethren ftands, 
By love united. Love binds hearts and hands, 
The flag of Jefus high aloft he bears, 
That tells of vicYries won, by groans and tears $ 
O 2 



196 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



Of future victories, too, this is the fign, 

When all the kingdoms, Saviour, mail be thine ; 

Then let the heroes of the crofs unite, 

And quickly put the alien foes to flight ; > 

And win the world in great MefTiah's right. J 

The foldiers are here feen formed into what is 
termed a hollow fquare. They have been well- 
nigh beaten on the field of battle ; this pofition is 
reforted to as a laft effprt; on every fide they 
prefent an array of glittering arms. The foe 
advances $ ftill they ftand their ground ; they 
repel the onfet ; they change the fortunes of the 
day. By union, they rout the enemy, and gain a 
complete vi£tory. 

" Behold," fays the Pfaimift, u how good and 
how pleafant it is for brethren to dwell together 
in unity" It is not only good and pleafant, but 
elTential to fuccefs. Chriftians have a work to 
do — a great work. Union is ftrength in religious 
warfare, as well as in military tactics. x< United, 
we ftand ; divided, we fall." It is a part of the 
plans of military commanders to divide the forces 
of the enemy, both in the council and in the 
field ; fo like wife it is the plan of the grand 
adverfary of fouls to divide Chriftians. The 
great Head of the Church has provided a prin- 
ciple which binds, nourifhes, and confolidates the 
various members of the body together, — for we 
are all members one of another. If this prin- 
ciple is neglected, the army of the crofs becomes 
eafily difperfed. The principle is Love. 

An aged father, when dying, called his fons 



RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS. 



*97 



around his dying bed 3 and, in order to {how them 
the neceffity of union among themfelves,. he 
commanded a bundle of flicks, which he had 
provided, to be brought before him. Beginning 
with the eldeft, he requefted him to break the 
bundle of flicks ; he could not. The next was 
called, and fo on down to the youngeft \ all failed : 
upon which the old man cut the cord which 
bound the flicks together, and they were eafily 
broken, one by one. Love is the cord that binds 
together. Union alone fupplies the lack of 
numbers, of talents, and of wealth. The minif- 
ter of the gofpel is the ftandard-bearer in the 
Chriftian army ; the memberftiip are the foldiers 
of Jefus. If every foldier rallies round the 
ftandard, and all are determined to conquer or 
die, nothing can ftand before them \ they would 
drive back the powers of darknefs, and make 
Apollyon fly. For want of union, antichrift and 
infidelity prevail, and finners go unreclaimed. 
When profefling Chriftians ceafe to vex each 
other, and turn the whole tide of their ftrength 
againft the common foe, the kingdoms of this 
world will become the kingdoms of our God 
and of his Meffiah, and he will reign for ever 
and ever. 



1 



PART II. 
RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 




"Looking unto Jefuf."— Hep. xii. 2. 
LOOKING UNTO JESUS. 
Amid the world's vain plealbres, din, and ftrife, 
The Chriftian treads the upward path of life • 
Though ibrely tempted to forfake the way, 
He prefles onward itill from day to day 5 



202 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



On worldly honours he with fcorn looks down, 
Content if he at laft fhall wear a crown 5 
And worldly wealth without regret he leaves, 
He treafure has beyond the reach of thieves. 
The Syren Pleafure with voluptuous (train, 
Strives to enfnare him, but me drives in vain 5 
His ear he clofes to their idle noife, 
Arid haftens upward to celeftial joys 5 
At God's right hand he owns an ample ftore, 
Of joys fubftantial, lafting evermore 5 
He looks to Jefas, his Almighty Friend, 
Nor fails at laft to reach his journey's end. 

The Chriftian is here depicted making his way 
up the path of life. The wealth of this world 
is offered to him on condition that he will 
turn afide. He rejecTis the offer with difdain ; he 
points upward, intimating that his treafure is in 
heaven. Honours are prefented ; thefe he 
defpifes alfo, content with the honour that comes 
from God. The votaries of fmful pleafures next 
addrefs him ; they promife all forts of delights if 
he would ftay and dwell with them. He clofes 
his ear to their deceitful fong : he looks upward 
to Jefus his Lord and his God, and, taking up 
the fong of an old pilgrim, he goes on his way, 
Tinging : — 

" Thou wilt mow to me the path of life, 
In thy prefence is fulnefs of joy, 
Pleafures at thy right hand for evermore." 

But what will not men in general do in order to 
obtain thofe very things which the Chriftian 
reje£ts with fo much difdain ? What have they 
not done ? Anfwer, ye battle-fields that have 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



203 



heard the dying groans of fo many myriads ! 
Anfwer, ye death-beds that have liftened to the 
lamentations of the votaries of pleafure ! Anfwer, 
ye habitations of cruelty, where the life's blood 
of the victims of avarice oozes away from day to 
day, under the rod of the oppreffor ! And who 
or what is the Chriftian, that thefe things have 
no influence over him ? Is he not a man ? Yes ; 
an altered man from what he was once ; a new 
man. Old things have paffed away. All things 
have become new. He looks to Jefus. Here is 
where his great ftrength lies. Here is the power 
by which he overcometh the world, even by 
looking to Jefus. Do you alk what is this 
looking to Jefus ? What magic is there in this 
fo powerful ? Liften ! Our fins have feparated 
us from God, for " all have finned, and come 
fhort of the glory of God." Death temporal 
has paffed upon all men, as the forerunner of 
eternal death, except we repent, and be converted. 
But how mall we repent and be converted ? 
How mail we guilty ones dare to approach the 
Holy God ? He is of purer eyes than to behold 
iniquity. What fhall we bring to gain his favour? 
Alas for our poverty, if it were to be bought with 
money ! Alas for our finfulnefs, if our own 
righteoufnefs could have fufficed to recommend 
us to God ! Alas for our impotence, if v/e had 
been left unaided to defcend Bethefda's pool ! 
Alas for our blindnefs, if we had been left to our- 
felves to difcover a door of Hope. 

While in this plight, Jefus comes to our relief. 



204 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



He brings a price — a righteoufnefs— a ftrength — 
a light. He is the light of the world — the Sun 
of righteoufnefs. He fhines and difpels the 
gloom. O how cheering are His rays ! As the 
beams of the morning give hope and confolation 
to the benighted traveller in fome dreary wilder- 
nefs, fo does Jefus, the u dayfpring from on 
high," give light and hope to thofe who fit in 
u darknefs, and in the fhadow of death." The 
light of love and the hope of heaven. The path 
of duty is revealed, the promife of immortality is 
given. Do you afk yet again, what is meant by 
looking to J efus ? Again liften. The exercife 
of faith in the Lord Jefus Chrift. This is what 
is meant. Man is made capable of confidence, 
of confidence in man. In this confifts the 
charms of domeftic felicity. A man without 
confidence in his race is an ifolated being ; he is 
cut off from all the fympathies of his kind. 
Juft fo, man without confidence in God, is 
feparated from him. He is in the world without 
God, and without Hope. Faith unites man to 
God. The Chriflian is a man of faith. He is 
united to God ; he walks by faith, he lives by 
faith. The life which he lives is a life of faith in 
the Son of God, who loved him and gave himfelf 
— O wondrous gift — for him. 

He looks to Jefus, as unto an " offering for fin." 
He receives it as a faithful faying, worthy of all 
acceptation, that " He hath made Him who knew 
no fin to be a fin-offering for us, that we might 
be made the righteoufnefs of God in Him." That 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



205 



is, that we might be completely faved by Him." 
This is the ground of his rejoicing, that Jefus hath 
made " a full, perfeft, and fuffiei.ent facrifice, 
oblation, and fatiffadtion for the fins of the whole 
world," fince iC he by the grace of God tafted 
death for every man." He regards his fins as 
being of fuch a nature that nothing but the 
u precious blood of Chrift" could avail to purge 
them away. Thus the man of -God confiders 
Jefus. He goes from ftrength to ftrength, making 
mention of His righteoufnefs, who died for his fins, 
and rofe again for his juftification. 

Such, however, is man's nature, fuch are his 
wants, trials, and deftiny, that the Lord Jefus 
Chrift has for his fake affumed various offices and 
titles. Does man feel his helpleflhefs, that he 
cannot of himfelf do anything that is good ? — he is 
invited to look from felf to jefus as the " Mighty 
God." " Look unto me, and be ye faved, all ye 
ends of the earth, for befide me there is no God." 
While others look at their own weaknefs, at the 
difficulties of the way, at the ftrength and num- 
ber of their foes, the man of faith looks from 
thefe to Jefus. Is he tempted to think that after 
all he mall never fee the King in his beauty ? 
He may look to Jefus as his " Advocate " with 
the Father, who takes care of his intereft in the 
court of heaven, and who is no lefs watchful over his 
affairs below. Does he need a fubjedl calculated 
to fill his mind with mean ideas of felf ? he looks 
to Jefus as u the wonderful " wonderful indeed, 
God made man for man to die. In his birth, in 



206 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



his life, in his death, in his refurredhon, and 
afcenfion, He is wonderful. In his character, in 
his operations, both of nature and of grace, in 
drawing, foftening, fan£Hfying, and glorifying the 
believer, He is wonderful ! O the depth both of 
the wifdom and the goodnefs of God ! 

Does he find the affairs of earth too intricate 
for him, and that the children of this world are 
wifer in their generation than the children of 
light ? He looks to Jefus as " the Counfellor " 
who is able to guide the feet of his faints. 

In the time of trouble the Chriftian looks to 
his counfellor, and finds him a " very prefent 
help," and no expenfive charges, or ruinous iffues 
follow. He looks to Jefus as the Author or 
Beginner of Faith, who has called him to be a 
Chriftian, who has pointed out to him the proper 
path of duty, and who will at laft award to him a 
crown of righteoufnefs. 

Painters, fculptors, and others have, in order to 
be perfect in their art, ftudied models of excel- 
lence. The Chriftian ftudies Jefus ; he is his 
u model " or <c example." Are his trials many ? 
is his crofs heavy ? He confiders Jefus who 
" endured the crofs and defpifed the fliame," Is 
he poor ? " The Son of man had no where to 
lay his head." Is he rich ? for the rich are alfo 
called ; he confiders Him u who was rich, and for 
our fakes became poor." Is he tempted with the 
glories of the prefent world ? To the Saviour 
w all the kingdoms of this world and the glory of 
them" were offered. Is he perfecuted ? He 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 



207 



looks to Jefus on the crofs and prays, " Father, 
forgive them." Thus he looks from earthly 
glory to that far more exceeding and eternal 
weight of glory • from earthly pofTeffions to that 
"inheritance that fadeth not away," and from 
earthly pleafures to thofe that are Ipiritual and 
eternal. Adopting the language of the poet, he 
looks unto Jefus as 

" His all ! 

His theme, his infpiration, and his crown , 
His ftrength in age, his rife in low eftate, 
His foul's ambition, pleamre, wealth, his world, 
His light in darknefs, and his life in death, 
His boaft through time, blifs through eternity, 
Eternity too fhort to fmg his praife." 



I fend the joys of earth away 5 
Away ye tempters of the mind, 

Falfe as the lmooth, deceitful lea, 
And empty as the whittling wind. 

Now to the mining realms above, 

I ftretch my hands and glance mine eyes ; 

Oh for the pinions of a dove, 
To bear me to the upper fkies ! 

In vain the world accofts my ear, 

And tempts my heart anew ; 
I cannot buy your blifs lb dear, 

Nor part with heaven for you. 1 

Dr. Watts. 



208 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




" For we walk by faith, not by fight." — 2 Cor. v. 7. 



WALKING BY FAITH. 

The convert here turns on the world his back, 
And waiks by faith along the narrow track j 
Before him miffs arife, and o'er his head 
Thick clouds of darknefs roll, and round him fpread, 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



209 



A bottomlels abyfs beneath extends, 

And ftill new danger to his pathway lends, 

While ever and anon a lurid wreath 

Comes riling upward from the pit of death. 

Though all around him fpreads the gloom of night, 

His footfteps fparkle with a brilliant light 5 

His Lamp — the Book of God — doth brightly mine, 

And pours upon his path a light divine. 

Between the murky columns as they rife, 

Sometimes he fees a palace in the ikies : 

His heart is cheered, nor death nor danger dreads, 

While circumfpecUy on his way he treads. 

Thus ftep by ftep, he walks the narrow road, 

Till at the end he finds himfelf with God. 

Here is depicted a man juft flatting from 
what appears to be folid ground, to walk upon a 
narrow plank, ftretched acrofs a deep gulf, and 
which ends nobody knows whither. Before him 
thick clouds of mift and vapour flowly but con- 
tinually afcend ; from the gulf or pit, rolling 
clouds of pitchy blacknefs alfo afcend. They 
fpread themfelves around him ; in wreathy 
columns they flrand before, and hide the future 
from his virion. Still he proceeds ; he is a 
wonder to many, who cannot tell what to make 
of it. The man himfelf, however, appears to 
know very well what he is doing. He holds 
in his hand a book which he reads as he goes 
along ; though it may feem to fome unfafe, yet 
he finds it advantageous, rather than otherwife. 
The book, he thinks, throws light upon his 
path ; now and then the wind blows the clouds 
of fmoke a little on one fide, and he beholds, 
apparently far off in the diftance, a fplendid 

p 



210 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



manfion — this is the palace he has heard of; it 
is thither the way leads, thither he would go. 

The fight of the manfion above, whenever he 
is fo fortunate as to behold it, infpires him with 
courage and fortitude; he bears cheerfully his 
prefent labours and fufferings, and meets without 
fear any new foe. He walks onward ftep by 
ftep, looking well at his footfteps ; at laft he 
arrives at the end of his journey — this opens 
upon him quite abruptly. Suddenly he beholds 
right before him the manfion mining gloriouuy. 
He enters — he is made heartily welcome— he is 
amply repaid for all his labours and fufferings. 

This may be confidered as an allegorical re- 
prefentation of the Chriftian walking by faith 
through this world to the next ; the young 
Chriftian, when he embraces Chrift, turns his 
back upon the world, its vanities, and fmful 
pleafures. He renounces it as an obje£l of truft 
and hope ; he leads a new life ; he walks a new 
path. It is the path of Faith. He knows not 
what is before him in the prefent life, whether 
ficknefs or health, profperity or adverfity ; clouds 
of darknefs, of temptation, and trouble, are fome- 
times made to arife in his path, by the enemy of 
his foul, to difcourage him in the way he has 
chofen. Yet he purities. The word of God is 
his conftant, heft companion — it is a light unto all 
his goings ; by it he cleanfes his way ; though it 
occupies much of his time, fo that many think 
it will prove his ruin, yet he finds it exceedingly 
helpful, nay he would not be without it for ail 
the world. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 



211 



In the midft of his labours and fufferings, he 
frequently enjoys rich foretaftes of the happinefs 
of heaven ; thefe are refrefhing to his foul, 
ftrengthening and infpiring him with zeal for the 
Lord of hofts. His light afflictions he reckons 
are not worthy to be compared with the glory 
of which he has had an earneft. Not knowing 
what mall befall him from hour to hour, and 
from day to day, he goes forward trufting in God, 
to whom he has committed the keeping of all his 
concerns, foul and body, for time and eternity. 
By and by he finiflies his courfe ; he has kept 
the faith, and an abundant entrance is adminif- 
tered to him into the everlafting kingdom of 
Jefus Chrift. The man who walks by fight, 
looks only at the things which are feen, and 
which, of courfe, are temporal. He looks at 
and regards the things of earth, as worthy of his 
efteem, of his love, of his labour, of his fufFer- 
ings ; houfes and lands, power and renown, and 
whatsoever tends to fupply the luft of the frefh, 
the luft of the eye, and the pride of life — thefe 
are the objeits to which he directs all his prayers, 
all his purpofes, and all his toils — he lives for 
this, and if neceffary he will die for it. 

He puts faith in nobody. He will have bonds 
and feals and witneffes for all and in ■ all his 
tranfacftions. He will not truft the Almighty 
with any of his concerns, but manages them all 
himfelf. He afks no favours at his hands ; if 
indeed he does at any time put up a petition to 
God, it is that he will afk nothing of him. 



212 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



How different with the man of Faith. He 
fees the things of earth and knows their value. 
It is enough for him that they are temporal. He 
values them fimply as they bear upon Eternity. 
He looks at things that are not feen, which are 
eternal : his foul — and whatever tends to inform 
and purify it — his Saviour, and whatever will 
advance his caufe on the earth ; his God, — and 
what will glorify him : Heaven — and whatever 
will help him on his way thither : Hell — and 
what will enable him to efcape it. He looks at 
man as a fellow traveller to Eternity — to the 
Judgment — puts a generous confidence in him, 
and labours to benefit him temporally and 
fpiritually. His thoughts, his words, his actions, 
are all regulated according to his eternal intereft. 
A man muft live before he can walk. So it is 
fpiritually. He lives a life of faith in the Son of 
God. Hence it is not difficult to walk by faith. 
He is but a fojourner here. His citizenfhip is 
in heaven. He is a denizen of immortality. 
Hence to him — 

" Faith lends its realizing light, 
The clouds dilperfe, the fhadows fly, 
The Invifible appears in fight, 
And God is feen by mortal eye $ 
The things unknown to feeble fenfe, 
Unfeen by reafon's glimmering ray, 
With flrong commanding evidence, 
Their heavenly origin dilplay." 

Faith is the foundation of things hoped for, 
the conviction of things not feen. Faith becomes 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



213 



a foundation on which Hope builds her glorious 
temple of future happinefs, The fpies who 
brought an evil report of the land of Promife, 
walked by fight. They faw nothing befides the 
high walls ; the number of inhabitants ; the 
gigantic Anakim. Not fo jofhua and Caleb. 
They faw only the promife, and the power of 
Jehovah, which they believed was fuf&cient to 
bring it to pafs. While the former perifhed with 
thofe who believed not, they, walking by Faith, 
entered the goodly land, and poffefTed it for an 
inheritance for ever. 

In the days of the Redeemer, there were fome 
who faw only the Babe of Bethlehem — the 
Carpenter's Son — the Nazarine — the Man of 
forrows — the crucified Malefactor, and who 
dreamed of a temporal kingdom. Thefe all 
walked by fight. Others beheld in him, the 
mighty God — the everlafting Father — the Prince 
of Peace — the Meffiah — the defire of all nations 
— the Lamb of God — the Son of God — The 
King of Ifrael — who looked for a fpiritual king- 
dom that would fill the whole earth, whole 
dominion mould be for ever and ever. Thefe 
all walked by faith, and according to their faith 
even fo was it done unto them. 

By faith, the good old Simeon took up the 
child Jefus in his arms, and faid, u Lord, now 
letteft thou thy fervant depart in peace, for mine 
eyes have feen thy falvation." By faith, the 
friends of the man fick of the palfy broke open 
the roof of the houfe, and lowered the fick man 



214 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



down into the midft where Jefus was, and ex- 
perienced his falvation. By faith, Jofeph of 
Arimathea, went to Pilate and begged the body 
of Jefus, and laid it in his own fepulchre, not 
doubting but that it would be raifed again ac- 
cording to the fcriptures. By faith, Paul, when 
brought before kings and princes of the earth, 
declared boldly the gofpel of Chrift, and his hope 
in the refurreftion of the dead. By faith, the 
difciples, who were in Jerufalem when it was 
en comp ailed by the Roman armies, left the city 
and fled to the mountains, and thus efcaped 
punifhment in the overthrow thereof. By faith, 
John Hufs, and Jerome, of Prague, delivered 
their bodies to be burned, not accepting de- 
liverance. By faith, Luther burnt the Bull of 
excommunication, and repaired to the city of 
Worms, not fearing the wrath of Pope, Emperor, 
or Devil. By faith, the Pilgrim Fathers braved 
the fury of the ocean and the violence of the 
favage, and planted a habitation for God in the 
wildernefs, yea, a refuge for the children of men. 

The time would fail to fpeak of Elliot and of 
Brainerd, of Martyn and of Carey, of Wilfon 
and of Schwartz, of Wefley and of Whitefield, 
and of others whofe names are recorded in 
heaven, who, through faith, unlocked the foun- 
tains of truth, broke down the barriers of 
oppofition, fubdued nations to the faith of Chrift, 
wrought righteoufnefs, and preached to the poor 
the acceptable year of the Lord. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 215 




" Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." — 
Ps. cxix. 105. " Ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a 
light that fhineth in a dark place." — 2 Pet. i. 19. 



THE SURE GUIDE. 

Alone, bewildered, and in penfive mood, 
A traveller wanders through a pathlefs wood 5 
Forward he goes, then back, then round and round j 
And lifts in vain to catch a friendly found. 



2l6 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Soon night o'ertakes him on her ebon car, 

Robed in thick darknefs, without moon or ftar ; 

No lonely light gleams through the mifty air, 

And tremblingly he wanders in defpair j 

At length he rinks, and now for once he prays, 

And lo ! a compafs clofe befide him lays ; 

A light he gets and holds it at its fide, 

That he may well confult the faithful guide j 

Within his breafl hope now exulting fprings, 

And painful doubt and fear away he flings $ 

But now falfe guides advance acrofs his track ; 

One ftrives with fpeeches fair to turn him back ; 

Another bawls with bold and bluft'ring fhout : 

" Here ! through this pleafant opening lies your route. 11 

" I tell you," fays a third, " it is not fo $ 

This, and this only, is the way to go 

He fhuns them all, and trims his light anew, 

And heeds his compafs, and it guides him through. 

An honeft traveller having, on his way home, 
to pafs through a lonely foreft, lofes his way. 
Bewildered, he knows not which way to turn. 
Now he goes forward ; now backward. Then, 
after wandering about for fome time, finds him- 
feif where he firft ftarts from. He is difcouraged ; 
he liftens, hoping to catch from the whifpering 
winds, fome tidings of companionfhip or fafety 0 
'Tis all in vain. Thick mifts now gather be- 
neath the leafy canopy. The madows of evening 
prevail, and night wraps the earth in her mantle 
of pitchy darknefs. He gropes his way with fear 
and trembling ; he becomes exhaufted ; hopelefs 
and overcome, at laft he finks on the wet ground. 
For awhile he mufes. A thought ftrikes him — 
he will pray. He lifts up his hands in prayer, 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 21J 

and as they fall again at his fide, he feels a fortie- 
th in g. Behold ! it is a compafs. Now he ftrikes 
a light, and looks with intenfe intereft on his 
new-found guide. Hope now fwells his bofom ; 
he will again fee his beloved home. Doubt and 
fear are thrown to the winds, and he fprings up 
to purfue his journey. 

As he moves forward, with a light in one 
hand and compafs in the other ; feveral perfons, 
attracted by the light, rufh towards him and 
proffer their affiftance ; one pointing out an open- 
ing to the left, roomy and level withal, with 
many fair fpeeches and much earneftnefs, preiTes 
him to take it. Another pointing to the right, 
in a very confident manner, urges him to take 
that. It is fmoother and lefs obftrucled than the 
way ahead. The traveller, honeft in his purpofe 
of finding home, and relying upon his compafs, 
rejects all their offers of advice. He trims his 
lamp afrefli ; looks again at his guide, and fol- 
lowing implicitly the way it directs, he gets out 
of the wood, and arrives at home in peace. 

The lonely foreft denotes this prefent world. 
The traveller, man ; home, happinefs ; the com- 
pafs, the Holy Bible ; the light, the Holy Spirit ; 
the falfe guides, thofe deceitful directors and falfe 
doctrines that abound in the world. The world, 
apart from the facred light and holy influences 
of heaven, is dark, cheerlefs, and impenetrable. 
Through fin, the darknefs of ignorance and the 
(hadows of death prevail. " Darknefs has co- 
vered the earth, and grofs darknefs the minds of 
the people." 



2l8 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Everywhere, fnares and pitfalls abound \ dan- 
gers, pain, and death. With the defire of hap- 
"pinefs ftrongly implanted in his bofom, man 
wanders in the midft of mifery and uncertainty. 
What he is ; what he muft do ; whither he is 
going ; he cannot tell. What is life ? what is 
death ? He knows not. He taftes of life with 
bitternefs ; he approaches death with horror. If 
there is a God, — what is His character ? how 
mail he worfliip him ? If there be a ftate after 
death, what is its nature ? where is the place of 
its abode ? 

In this ftate of diftreffing anxiety, he wanders 
on, pathlefs, guidelefs, lightlefs, hopelefs — he is 
loft ! In the anguifti of his foul, he exclaims, 
u Who will ftiow me any good ?" " God, for 
ever bleffed," hears his prayer. He has been 
tenderly watching him while in tracklefs mazes 
loft, and in His providence prefents him with a 
Bible. He opens it — he reads. Wonderful 
Book ! It tells him all about the darknefs ; of 
what it is made, and how it came to overfpread 
the earth. It tells too, of a Sun, a glorious Sun, 
that can difperfe the gloom : who he is, and how 
he becomes the light of the world. It points out 
to him more diftinc-tly than he ever faw, the 
fnares and pitfalls, and the way to efcape them, 
Wherefore pain, and how to endure it. Why 
the defire of happinefs is implanted in the human 
breaft, and how it may be gratified. It makes 
known to him, what he is ; what he ought to 
do ; where he is going, and what he may be- 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



219 



come. It tells him of life, and how to enjoy it : 
of death, and how to ftrip it of its terrors. 

It reveals to him a God, tremendous in power, 
glorious in holinefs, accurate in juftice, infinite in 
love. The Almighty Maker and Ruler of the 
univerfe. It prefcribes the way in which He 
would be wormipped, through " Jefus Chrift the 
Righteous." The facrifices He would accept, 
" a broken and a contrite heart ; " this is more 
acceptable to Him than 

" Arabia facrificed 
And all her fpicy mountains in a flame. 11 

The Bible reveals to him Futurity. It raifes 
the curtain of the hidden world. Here he be- 
holds the tormenting flame, the parched tongue, 
the ufelefs prayer ; there, the glory of Paradife, 
the blifs of heaven, the fong of praife. It 
becomes to him juft what he needs. He has 
found a way, a guide, a light, to happinefs. Still 
he underftands its mighty truths but imperfeclly, 
yet he reads on ; fcales fall from his eyes ; he 
beholds men as trees walking. But the confola- 
tions of hope are his ; he has found God ; he 
feeks for wifdom at its fount— for light at its 
fource. u Open my eyes," he prays, " that I 
may behold the wonders of thy Law." Light 
celeftial mines upon the facred page ; he reads 
and underftands enough for knowledge, enough 
for duty, and enough for happinefs. 

As foon as the honeft inquirer after truth has 
difcovered the right path, begins to walk in it, 



220 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



and lets his light ftiine, numerous falfe guides 
appear and proffer their fervices. While he was 
{tumbling along in darknefs and in ignorance, the 
devil gave himfelf no concern about him. Now 
he is very much interefted in his welfare. He 
fends his fervants to put the poor man right. 
One of thefe endeavours to diffuade him from 
ufing the Bible, for, fays he, " it is full of 
myftery ; it is impoffible to underftand it. I, for 
one, will never believe what I cannot underftand. 
Follow reafon, that is the fureft guide." " Indeed, 
friend," replies the enlightened man, u it was by 
following reafon that I was led into the poffeffion 
of the Bible, and my Bible has led me to God. 
I acknowledge it is myfterious, wonderfully fo ; 
yet it has led me right hitherto, and I am deter- 
mined to follow it. The nature of its fecret 
influence over my foul, I cannot tell. The 
nature of the power by which it guides aright, 
under all circumftances of life, I know not. Nei- 
ther does the mariner underftand the power by 
which the compafs operates fo beneficially under 
all circumftances ; of ftorm and calm, light and 
darknefs, heat and cold. It is ever a fure guide. 
He believes in it, he follows it. Were the failor 
no more to weigh anchor and fpread the flowing 
fail, until he underftands the myfteries of the 
compafs, verily he would have to learn another 
trade, for ftiips would rot in harbour, commerce 
would ceafe, and intercourfe between nations 
come to an end. And what is worthy of remark, 
the common failor-boy underftands juft as much 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



221 



of the practical ufe of the compafs, as the 
captain ; ceafe then to perfuade me further. 
The Bible is my compafs, my fure guide, I will 
follow it." 

Other falfe directors, of different names, but 
all of them having the fame end in view, viz., to 
make him diftruft his guide, and turn him out of 
the way, offer to them their fervices ; fome prefs 
the matter one way, and fome another. His 
reply to all is, " Wherewithal mall a young man 
cleanfe his way, but by taking heed thereto 
according to thy word/' 

Thus he believes in it practically, follows its 
directions implicitly, and it guides him fafely by 
every Hough of defpond, over every mountain of 
difficulty, through every ftrait of diftrefs, and 
every ftorm of tribulation, and conduits him at 
laft in triumph to the home of the bleffed. 

" Take from the world the Bible, and you have taken 
the moral chart by which alone its population can be 
guided. Ignorant or the nature of God, and only gueffing 
at their own immortality, the tens of thouiands would be 
as mariners, toffed on a wide ocean, without a pole ftar 
and without a compafs. The blue lights of the ftorm- 
fiend would burn ever in the fhrouds ; and when the 
tornado of death rufhed acrofs the waters, there would be 
heard nothing but the fhriek of the terrified, and the 
groan of the defpairing. It were to mantle the earth with 
a more than Egyptian darknefs ; it were to dry up the 
fountain of human happinefs 5 it were to take the tides 
from our waters, and leave them ftagnant, and the ftars 
from our heavens, and leave them in lackcloth ; and the 
verdure from our valleys, and leave them in barrennefs ; it 
were to make the prefent all reckiefTnefs, and the future all 



222 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



hopeleflhefs ; the maniac's revelry, and then the fiend's 
imprifonment 5 if you could annihilate the precious volume 
which tells us of God and of Chrift, and unveils immor- 
tality, and inftructs in duty, and wooes to glory. Such is 
the Bible. Prize ye it, and ftudy it more and more. Prize 
it, as ye are immortal beings, for it guides to the New 
Jerufalem. Prize it, as ye are intellectual beings, for it 
" giveth light to the fimple.'" 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



223 




"Above all thefe things put on charity." — Col. iii. 14 "Love 
is the fulfilling of the law." — Rom. xiii. 10. "God is 
love." — 1 John iv. 8. 



CHARITY, OR LOVE. 

The feraph Charity from heaven defcends, 
And o'er the world on mining pinions bends $ 
Round mourning mortals tender as a dove, 
She fpreads her wing and foothes in tones of love j 



224 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Pours living balm into the wounded breaft, 
And aids the beggar though in tatters dreft ; 
The orphan's plaint me heeds, and widow's figh, 
And fmiles away the tear from forrow's eye. 
Like fome fair fount that through the defert flows, 
Fringed with the myrtle and the Perfian rofe, 
She fcatters bleffmgs all along her track, 
And hope and joy to want and woe brings back, 
And when the laft faint fob is heard no more, 
Up to her native bowers again fhe'll foar. 

Behold here a being of heavenly appearance. 
The light of love irradiates her brow ; her eyes 
melt with tendernefs ; her countenance wears the 
afpe£t of benevolence ; her heart bleeds with 
fympathy ; her hands are ftrong to fave ; the 
commiferating Angel has come from a far diftant 
part ; on the wings of love and companion me 
has come ; fhe has left all to fuccour and to fave 
the helplefs, the wretched, and the loft. 

See her at her Godlike work. In the fore- 
ground fhe is raifing a miferable being in rags and 
tatters from a pit of mire and filth. With her 
right hand fhe is pouring the balm of life into 
the wounds of the dying. Look behind her ; fee 
the widow and the fatherlefs. They have come 
to blefs her ; with hearts guftiing with grateful 
emotion they follow her with their praife ; fhe 
has refcued them from the gripe of the opprefTor ; 
they were hungry, and fhe fed them ; naked, and 
(he clothed them ; and their prayers, like a cloud 
of incenfe, go up to heaven in behalf of their 
companionate friend. Before fhe leaves the 
diftri£t of pain, want, and wretchednefs, Charity, 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



225 



for that is her name, builds a houfe for the recep- 
tion of the diftreffed ; here fhe provides what is 
neceffary, appoints her officers and attendants, 
leaves wholefome inftructions, then, amid the 
praifes, thankfgivings, and benedictions of thofe 
whom her love has bleffed, fhe fpreads again her 
wings and foars to her own abode, there to ban- 
quet on the remembrance of her deeds. 

This engraving reprefents, firft of all, the 
divine Charity of the ever bleffed Redeemer. 
He left the glories and happinefs of heaven to 
vifit our difeafed, our loft world. Beaming with 
love, melting with tendernefs, filled with bene- 
volence, on the wings of companion he flew to 
our relief. How companionate ! how fym- 
pathizing ; He becomes a flave himfelf that 
he may preach deliverance to the captives, and 
the opening of the prifon doors to them which 
are bound, and that he might proclaim the 
acceptable year of the Lord. See Him at His 
work of mercy. The world is an aceldama, a 
vaft Lazar houfe, a conquered province, fubject 
to fin and death. He fcatters health around him; 
he gives eyefight to the helplefs blind ; he bids 
the lame to walk ; the hungry he fills with good 
things ; the very dead he reftores to life and joy. 
He beholds the weeping widow, and haftens to 
wipe away her tears. He vifits the houfe of 
mourning, and fills it with the fong of praife. 

Behold Him afcend the Mount of Bleffing. 
He takes his feat - y heavenly light fhines around 
him ; the majefty of holinefs encircles his brow. 



226 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 



Love, divine love, looks out from his wondrous 
eyes ; the manna of wifdom drops from his lips; 
he aflembles around him the poor — the mourners 
— the perfecuted, and mowers upon them the 
bleffings of an endlefs life. He refcued the 
conquered province from the grafp of the foe ; 
deftroyed the power of death, and opened unto 
man the portals of immortal life. cc He wept 
that man might fmile ; he bled that man might 
never die ; he feized our dreadful right, the load 
fuftained, and hove the mountain from our guilty 
world." He eftablifhed his church as an hofpital 
for the fpiritually difeafed ; appointed his own 
minifters and officers ; gave his own laws for 
the guidance thereof, and having perfected his 
work of Charity, he afcended again to the 
manfions of blifs, there to fee the effe&s of " the 
travail of his foul, and be fatiffied." As was the 
divine Founder, fuch is the religion he eftablifhed. 
Chriftianity is a noble fyftem of Charity. It 
teaches man to feel another's woe ; to feek 
another's good ; to breathe, inftead of revenge, 
forgivenefs and affection ; for the aged, the halt, 
the maimed, and the blind, it ere&s afylums of 
comfort and repofe ; for the fuffering and the 
fick, hofpitals ; and, above all, taking into 
account man's fpiritual wants, man's deathlefs 
interefts as a candidate for eternity, it provides 
temples for religious worfhip, where the ignorant 
may be inftru£led, the guilty pardoned, the 
polluted fandtified and made meet for heaven. 
Other religions are a fable — a delufion — a (hadow, 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



227 



Chriftianity is alone benevolent ; in its Founder, 
in its effence, and in its operations, intensely 
benevolent. 

Infidelity, in all its appeals, profefTes Charity 
and benevolence. What have its apoftles done 
to benefit mankind ? In what book are their 
" Acts " recorded ? To what lands have they 
carried the bleffings of civilization ? what prifons 
have they opened r what chains have *they fnapt 
afunder ? where are the tombs of their martyrs ? 
where the trophies of their fuccefs ? Infidelity 
is cruel, earthly, fenfual, and devilifh. Witnefs 
its day of triumph in France. True, it opened 
the doors of the Baftile, but it was only to lead 
the inmates to the guillotine. It demoliflied 
the walls, but it was only to build out of the 
ruins thereof a hundred dungeons, if poffible ftill 
more gloomy and terrible. The reign of Infi- 
delity is the "reign of terror." " The infant 
comes into the world without a bleffing, the aged 
leaves it without hope." The houfe of mercy is 
clofed ; the book of mercy is burnt ; the minis- 
ters of mercy are ilaughtered ; the God of mercy 
is banifhed ; yea, a watch is fet upon the tomb 
that the dead may rife no more. Infidelity 

" Like Sam fori in his wrath, 
Plucking the pillars that fupport the world, 
Fair Charity in ruins lies entombed, 
And midnight, univerfal midnight, reigns.'' 

As is the Founder of Chriftianity, and as is 
Chriftianity itfelf, fuch alfo is the difciple \ he 
c^2 



228 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



goes about doing good ; he is the Jordan in its 
fullnefs ; he, like the Nile, leaves behind him the 
feeds of a new creation ; he feeks out the helplefs 
and the deftitute ; he vifits the widows and the 
fatherlefs in their affliction, and foothes and wipes 
away their tears ; he underftands and appreciates 
the heaven-born fentirnent, " // is more blejfed to 
give than to receive" Hence, " when the ear 
hears of him it bleffes him, when the eye fees 
him it gives witnefs for him, and the bleffing of 
him that was ready to perifti comes upon him." 

The difciple however views man in his relation 
to both worlds, as poffe fling a deathlefs fpirit ; as 
a candidate for eternity ; as an ignorant, helplefs, 
and guilty finner, unholy and unclean, and yet 
redeemed by the blood of Chrift. He will, as 
far as poffible, inftru£l his ignorance and point 
him to the Saviour. True Charity afts from 
motives of love to God as well as man. Hence 
ingratitude does not reftrain him, nor oppofition 
make him afraid. He lays up a foundation againft 
the time to come ; and when he (hall have fown 
the feeds of Benevolence here, he will reap a 
harveft of everlafting love ; for " whatfoever a 
man foweth, that mail he alfo reap." 

" True Charity, a plant divinely nurfed, 
Yet by the love from which it rofe at firft 
Thrives againft hope, and, in the rudeft fcene, 
Storms but enliven its unfading green. 
Exuberant is the fhadow it fupplies, 
Its fruits on earth, its growth above the fkies, 
To look at Him, who formed us and redeemed, 
So glorious now, though once fo difefteemed, 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



229 



To fee a God ft retch forth his human hand, 

To uphold the boundlefs fcenes of his command ; 

To recollect that in a form like ours, 

He bruifed beneath his feet the infernal powers ; 

Captivity led captive, rofe to claim 

The wreath he won fo dearly in our name. 

Like him the foul, thus kindled from above, 

Spreads wide her arms of univerfal love ; 

And, ftill enlarged as me receives the grace, 

Includes creation in her clofe embrace. 11 



" Charity is placed at the head of all the Chrirtian 
virtues by St. Paul, the ableft divine that ever graced a 
pulpit or wielded a pen. It is the mb-ftratum of philan- 
thropy, the brighter! ftar in the Chriftian's diadem. It 
fpurns the fcrofula of green-eyed jealoufv, the canker of 
tormenting envy, the tortures of burning malice, the 
typhoid of foaming revenge. It is an impartial mirror, 
fet in the frame of love, refting on equity and juftice. It 
is the foundation and cap-ftone of the climax of all the 
Chriftian graces ; without it, our religion is like a body 
without a ibul ; our friendfhip, fhadows of a fhadow ; our 
alms, the offfprings of pride, or, what is more deteitable, 
the offerings of hypocriiy j our humanity, a mere iceberg 
on the ocean of time ; we are unfit to diicharge the duties 
of life, and derange the defign of our creation. Wars 
and rumours of wars would ceafe ; envy, jealoufy, and 
revenge, would hide their diminifhed heads 5 falfehood, 
flander, and perfecution, would be unknown ; fectarian 
walls, in matters of religion, would crumble in duft. Pure 
and undefiled religion would then be honoured and glori- 
fied: primitive Chriftianity would ftand forth, diverted of 
the inventions of men, in all the majefty of its native 
lovelinefs ; the victories of the crofs would be rapidly 
achieved j and the bright day be ufnered in, when Jems 
mail rule, King of nations, as he now does King of 
faints. 11 — Probe. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 




" Pride goeth before deftruc'r.ion, and an haughty fpirit before 
a fail." — Prov. xvi. 18. "He giveth grace unto the 
lowly." — Prov. iii. 34. 

PRIDE AND HUMILITY. 

Rifing in fair proportion fide by fide, 
Behold the ftages of ProgrefTive Pride 5 
Refpeclability begins the courfe ; 
'Tis his who has — all told — a well-filled purfe ; 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



231 



High as his neighbour fure he'd like to feel, 

So takes the next ftep, and is quite Genteel j 

By many acls for which he'd fain write — blank, 

He fwells and Units at length a man of Rank ; 

The chair of ftate he next afcends, that Fame 

May faithfully transmit his Honoured name 5 

He meets a rival here, and — woe to tell, 

He fends his rival in a trice to — hell 5 

A thoufand mots like that, and ftrange to fay, 

Right up to Glory he has won his way. 

Pride walks a thorny path 5 it nothing bears 

But fwords and piftols, blood, and groans, and tears. 

Far different in the happy vale, behold 
Humility at eafe, uncurfed with gold j 
With competence content, with wifdom bieffed ; 
In peace he dwells, carefling and careffed ; 
No thorns befet his path, there only grows 
The bending corn, the violet, and the rofe j 
Truth, beauty, innocence, at once combine, 
And o'er his pathway fheds a light divine 5 
And when he leaves the vale, to him 'tis given, 
To walk amid the bowers of blifs in heaven. 

This engraving (hows a rude mafs of rocks 
rifing from the valley below. They appear to be 
thrown up by fome volcanic explofion, or forced 
up by the agency of fubterranean fires, they are 
fo fteep, rugged, and unequal. On the tops of 
the ledges are feen bufhes of thorns, high, and 
fpreading in all directions. On the firft ledge is 
a man who has fcrambled up with fome difficulty 
to the place he now occupies. His object is to 
get as high as he can, and he is feen about to 
place himfelf on the elevation of Gentility. On 
the next ridge is feen a man and woman, who ap- 
pear to think a good deal of themfelves. They 



232 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



ftrut and fwell like peacocks, although behind and 
before danger threatens. A little higher, fee ! 
there is murder committed. One man has (hot 
at and killed his brother, juft becaufe he would 
not move fafter out of his way, although there 
was room enough for both. At the end of the 
rocks and above all, is a man in uniform. He 
has attained the higheft pinnacle. Thunder and 
lightning attend his path ; ftorms gather round 
him. A man of thick fkin, no doubt ; thorns 
could not fcratch him, nor daggers pierce him, 
nor bullets kill him. His glory, however, is 
aim oft gone. The next ftep he takes he falls, 
and difappears. 

A more pleafing picture prefents itfelf to us be- 
low. A lovely vale opens, enriched and adorned 
with the choiceft of fruits and flowers of para- 
dife > there the fountains pour forth their living 
ftreams. The corn bends gracefully to the pafT- 
ing zephyr. The lowly violet rears her beauteous 
head in the friendly made ; the rofe of Sharon 
decks the border ; the father, mother, and little 
one are feen walking together along this beautiful 
valley, with Wifdom for their guide. The air is 
filled with fragrance and fweet founds ; no thorns 
grow there to obftruct their path ; no lightning's 
flafh, nor thunder's roar, makes them afraid. 
Safe, peaceful and happy, they pafs along, while 
Truth, Beauty, and Innocence, irradiate their 
pathway that leads direftly to their own fequef- 
tered cottage. 

This is an allegorical reprefentation of Pride 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



233 



and Humility. The (helving rocks denote the 
rugged and thorny path of Pride. The way is 
railed by the agency of the devil. Having ruined 
himfelf by pride, he feeks to bring man into the 
fame condemnation ; he tempts the children of 
men to walk on it. The moft High has planted 
it with thorns, made it difficult in order to deter 
men from walking on it. Notwithftanding this 
merciful precaution, it is crowded with adven- 
turers. Nothing mows the fallen character of 
man more than his filly and prefumptuous pride, 
at once ftupid and wicked. . 

" Of all the caufes which confpire to blind 
Man's erring judgment, and mifguide his mind, 
What the weak head with ftrongeft bias rules, 
Is Pride, the never-failing vice of fools j 
Whatever nature has in worth denied, 
She gives in large recruits of needful pride j 
For as in bodies, thus in fouls, we find 
What wants in blood and fpirits, fwelled with wind j 
Pride, where wit fails, fteps in to our defence, 
And fills up all the mighty void of fenfe." 

A man becomes poffeffed of a little gold, and 
he all at once becomes blind, or at leaft he fees 
things in a very different light from what he did 
once. He himfelf is altogether another man. 
He wonders that he never before difcovered his 
own merit. He no longer aflbciates with his 
former friends ; Oh no ! they are not refpectable. 
He wiflies to be confidered a gentleman ; he will 
no longer work ; he is above that. He fees his 
neighbour living in a higher ftyle than he does, 



234 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



he is difcontented. The thorns already begin to 
fcratch him. Pride, however, can bear a little 
pain. Pride is very prolific. The man under 
its influence Toon gets peevifti, envious, and 
revengeful. The remonftrances of confcience 
are filenced, and he gives himfelf up to the 
guidance of Ambition. 

He next afpires after rank and fafhion ; but 
Pride is very expenfive. In order to keep up 
appearances he does many things that at one 
time he would never have thought of doing. 
He can lie, and be very refpe£table. He can 
overreach and defraud his neighbour, and yet be 
refpeclable. He can feduce the innocent and 
unfufpefting, and deftroy the happinefs of entire 
families, and ftill be confidered refpe£table. By 
his flanders he has ruined the reputation of more 
than one. By his unrighteous fchemes he attains 
the prefent objecT: of his proud heart, and moves 
among the circles of rank and famion. 

Yet his foul is reftlefs. It is like the troubled 
fea ; he pants for Power. He purfues after 
honours, that the trump of fame may found his 
name abroad, and hand it down faithfully to 
pofterity. He becomes now a candidate for high 
office. In his own opinion he pofTefTes every 
qualification ; he is aftoniflied that the world 
mould be fo blind to his many excellencies. He 
here meets with a competitor — he wifhes him out 
of his way. " From pride comes contention 
he picks a quarrel with his rival. The challenge 
fucceeds ; the duel is fought, and his antagonift 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



2 35 



falls weltering in his blood. He triumphs. Ah ! 
unhappy man ! Remorfe is his companion for 
ever — the ghoft of the murdered haunts him 
continually. 

He is inftalled in office. He fcruples at 
nothing that will but increafe his power ; the 
man's pride knows no bounds — he afpires now 
after conqueft and dominion. He will be a 
Hero ; he will attain the high pinnacle of military 
renown and glory. War, fearful, devaftating war, 
goes before him ; Famine and Peftilence attend 
him j Ruin and Mifery follow clofe behind, but 
" Pride goeth before deftruftion ! " There are 
others who wiih him out of the way. A fhot 
from his own ranks cuts him down. From his 
high elevation he is brought low. His glory is 
departed. 

" Heroes are much the fame, the point's agreed, 
From Macedonia's madman to the Swede 5 
Mark by what wretched fteps their glory grows, 
From dirt and fea-weed, as proud Venice rofe ; 
In each how guilt and greatneis equal ran, 
And all that railed the hero funk the man." 

The man with his family in the happy vale, 
reprefents Humility. The paflions feldom ope- 
rate alone ; humility begets contentment and 
peace. He is fatiffied with the pofition God has 
given him. Fie has learned from the book of 
wifdom that happinefs confifts not in the abund- 
ance of things which a man may poffefs ; hence 
contentment is his fafe-guard. He has no denre 



236 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



to afcend the rugged path of pride ; he drinks 
wifdom and knowledge from the fountain of 
Truth — he quaffs pleafure at the fprings of do- 
meftic blifs. His greater! treafure is a good 
confcience —his higheft ambition to walk humbly 
with his God. Free from the confuming, 
the torturing defires, the fierce paffions, the 
dreadful fears, and gnawing confcience of the 
man of Pride, he enjoys peace. He labours to 
difcharge all the duties of his ftation, with an 
eye fingle, doing all to the glory of God. His 
prefent path is fafe, peaceful, and happy, and his 
hope of the future, bleffed and glorious. 

" Far from the madcTning crowd's ignoble ftrife, 
Their fober wifhes never learned to ftray 5 
Along the cool, fequeftered vale of life, 
They keep the noifelefs tenor of their way." 

Behold how great is the difference between 
Humility and Pride. Pride affumes an elevated 
pofition, and looks down with contempt on all 
beneath. Humility is content with a lowly feat, 
and mingles kindly with the brotherhood of man. 
Pride climbs a fteep, dry, and rugged path, befet 
with thorns and briars. Humility walks the 
verdant vale amid rippling brooks, blufhing corn, 
and flowers of vernal beauty. Pride occupies a 
dangerous place ; even nature contends againft 
him. The thunder, the lightning, and the ftorm, 
encompafs him about. Humility walks with 
nature, and her path is fafe. Pride is tormented 
with cares, fears, and vain defires. Humility 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



237 



enjoys the peace of God that pafTeth understand- 
ing. Pride works all, and endures all, to be feen 
of dying men. Humility courts the eye only 
of the living God. The path of Pride leads to 
mame and everlafting contempt ; that of Hu- 
mility to Honour, Glory, and Eternal Life. 



2 38 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




" Whofoever will lofe his life for my fake fhall fave it." — Luke 
ix. 24. " He died for all." — 2 Cor. v. 15. "We ought to 
lay down our lives for the brethren." — 1 John iii. 16. 



THE SACRIFICE, 

See here the Warriors on the battle-field, 

In dread array with gleaming fpear and fhield j 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



2 39 



They rufh together with the mighty roar 

Of ftormy ocean on a rock-bound more ; 

Shields ftrike on fhields, helmets on helmets clam, 

In pools of purple gore the Legions fplaih. 

From Latium's hoft the found of triumph rings, 

And viclory guides them on her crimfon wings : 

Then the brave Roman, fired with patriot zeal, 

His life devoted for his country's weal j 

The victors then in dire amazement flood, 

As on he fwept like a deftroying flood ; 

His blood-framed fword through creft and corfelet fank 

Like Death's own angel, fwift he ftrewed each rank : 

At length he fell, — and Rome's proud banner waved 

Its folds triumphant o'er a nation faved. 

Behold, here, the battle-field ; the warriors 
are feen arrayed in all the pompous circumftance 
of war. Armed with fhield and javelin, they 
ftand prepared for dreadful combat. See ! the 
ranks are broken : one is feen rufhing into the 
midft of the enemy ; on he fweeps like a tornado, 
right and left he hurls the blood-ftained fpear; he 
cuts his way through — the foe, aftounded at his 
daring intrepidity, give back. Again they rally, 
and the hero falls, covered with a hundred 
wounds. He has, however, effected his object 
— the ranks are broken ; his comrades follow up 
the advantage thus gained — rufhing into the 
breach, they rout the foe, and foon victory fits 
perched upon their banner. 

The Romans, being at one time engaged in 
battle againft the Latins, the latter had the 
advantage, and victory was about to decide in 
their favour, when Publius Decius, obferving 
how things went, fired with a generous zeal, 



240 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



determined to facrifice his life for his country's 
welfare. He threw himfelf upon the ranks of 
the enemy, and, after having committed great 
(laughter among them, fell overwhelmed with 
wounds. His countrymen, infpired by his heroic 
example, rallied their forces, renewed the combat, 
fought with great bravery, and gained a complete 
vi£lory. Decius left behind him a fon, who in 
like manner facrificed his life in a war with the 
Etrufcans ; alfo a grandfon, who facrificed himfelf 
in the war waged againft Pyrrhus. His example 
influenced his countrymen down to the laft of the 
Romans. 

The hero facrificing his life for his country's 
good, reprefents the Chriftian Miffionary falling 
in the midft of heathen lands. The young man 
already belongs to the facramental hoft ; devoutly 
attached to his Saviour, burning with zeal for his 
glory, he longs to do fomething to advance his 
kingdom on the earth. The two armies he 
knows are in the field ; long, fierce, and bloody, 
has been the conteft. O ! if he were permitted 
to turn the battle to the gate. That he may fee 
diftinctly the ftate of things, he afcends the mount 
of Vifion ; in one direction he beholds Africa, 
bleeding and'proftrate beneath the powers of evil 
— lie fees tribe waging againft tribe bloody and 
cruel wars ; rivers run red with the blood of its 
flaughtered millions ; its mountains are crimfoned 
with human facrifices ; its valleys refound with 
the wild yells of demon-worftiippers. In Central 
Africa he fees forty millions ignorant, cruel, and 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES* 



2 4 I 



fuperftitious, covered with the blacknefs of night; 
everywhere cruelty reigns rampant, enflaving and 
deftroying millions of immortal fouls : and, as he 
bends over this mafs of woe, he thinks he hears 
Africa " weeping for her children " as me 
" ftretches out her hands unto God. 5 ' 

He turns his eyes in another direction, and he 
beholds China — vaft, populous China : an infidel 
refinement, mixed with abominable vices prevails ; 
one vaft chain binds them faft to the pictured 
idols of their own creating ; there they are 
ignorant of Jehovah, and Jefus Chrift whom he 
has fent; without hope in the world. 

He ventures to look ftill further. Now he 
beholds the myriads of India crufned beneath a 
gigantic fyftem of error— the growth of ages. 
The rivers as they roll, the mountains as they 
rife, the valleys as they open, all proclaim the 
deep degradation of the people. " They have 
, priefts, but they are impoftors and murderers ; 
and altars, but they are ftained with human 
blood; and objects of worfhip — but they facri- 
fice to devils and not to God. The countlefs 
mafs is at worfhip — before the throne of Satan, 
glowing as with the heat of an infernal furnace — 
with rage, luft, and cruelty, for their religious 
emotions. He looks again; their demon-worfhip 
is over, but are they fatiffied? How eager their 
looks ! how objectlefs and reftlefs their move- 
ments ! how the living mafs of mifery heaves and 
furges, and groans and travails in pain together. 
He beholds them as " travellers into eternity ; 

R 



242 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



how vaft the proceffion they form, how clofe 
their ranks, how continuous the line, how 
conftant and fteady the advance ! An angry 
cloud hangs over them — which moves as they 
move — and ever and anon emits a lurid flam ; it 
is ftored with the materials of judicial wrath. 
Thoufands of them have reached the edge of a 
tremendous gulf — it is the gulf of perdition, and 
they are ftanding on the very brink. God of 
mercy, they are falling over — they are gone ! " 

Finally he looks at home ; here, in his own 
beloved land, he fees millions of immortal fouls, 
for whom Chrift died> fhut up in unbelief and 
ignorance. Slaves, doomed to labour in defpair, 
and to die without hope. 

" From Greenland's icy mountains, 

From India's coral ftrand, 
Where Afric's funny fountains 

Roll down their golden fand 5 
From many an ancient river, 

From many a palmy plain, 
They call him to deliver 

Their land from error's chain." 

He hears the call ; it finks deep into his heart. 
He burns to carry to Africa the tidings of the 
God of Love — to China the fyftem of Eternal 
Truth — to India the facrifice of the Son of God 
— to his opprefTed countrymen the Liberty that 
maketh " free indeed." Viewing the vaft and 
deadly plague that defolates the earth, he longs to 
carry into the midft thereof the cenfer of incenfe, 
that the plague may be flayed, and fpiritual 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



health everywhere eftablifhed. In the fpirit of 
devotion he exclaims, " Here am I, fend me." 

" My life and blood I here prefent, 
If for thy truth they may be fpent." 

Now he felects his field of labour ; the tear 
of love and friendfhip bedews his cheek — the 
parting hand is given — the laft farewell breaks 
from his trembling lips — he flies on the wings of 
the wind to meet the foe. Soon he is at the poft 
of duty ; he flings the torch of heavenly love 
into the midft of midnight darknefs ; powerfully 
he wields the fword of truth againft gigantic forms 
of error. He wreftles with the man of fin and 
prevails. The might of God is with him ; the 
enemy falls before him ; he takes polTeffion of his 
ftrong places. The banner of Emanuel opens 
its folds triumphant to the breeze ; foon the 
infant Church lifts up its voice : " Hofanna, 
hofanna in the highefl:." 

But in the ftruggle the Hero falls. Through 
the influence of the deadly climate, or through 
the deadlier paflion of the ferocious natives, he 
falls. Far from home and friends he falls, and 
" unknelled and uncofHned " he is borne to the 
houfe appointed to all the living ; the earth clofes 
over him ; not a ftone tells where he lies j but 
his object is effected, the feed is fown. The 
tree of Life is planted, whofe leaves mall be for 
the healing of a nation's curfe. The nation that 
fmote him by and by (hall remember him whom 
they pierced, and mourn deeply becaufe of the 

R 2 



244 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



madnefs of their guilt. He is crowned with 
glory, honour, and immortality ; the brighteft 
diadem in Heaven's own gift is his; he wears it as 
his due. 

He has fallen, but, like Samfon, he flew more 
dying than when he was alive. The temple of 
error is overthrown, the tree of gofpel liberty is 
watered by the blood of its martyrs ; thus has it 
ever been, from the time of the proto-martyr to 
him of Erromanga. Every ftroke received is a 
vi£tory gained, every death a triumph. The 
facrificing fpirit of the brave Roman lived in his 
immediate defcendants, and fired a whole nation 
with the love of heroic deeds ; it is fo with 
the Chriftian Hero, and to much better purpofe. 
Living he was located ; his fphere of ufefulnefs 
was limited ; now he pofTefles a ubiquity of pre- 
fence ; he is everywhere animating the church of 
God by his example ; and fhe is animated — the 
fpot where he fell becomes a recognized part of 
her polTeffions. Others rufh forward and fecure 
the prize. Every one of his wounds becomes 
more effective and eloquent than the mouth of 
the living orator, fpeaking through all time. 
Dying, he becomes an immortal, his very name 
becomes a watch-word — his deeds, a memorial 
unto all generations ; his heroic example, a 
glorious inheritance. If the offering of the 
widows' mites have conftituted fo rich a treafury 
to the church, how much more mall the facrifice 
of the Chriftian Hero open to her a mine of 
wealth, at once precious and inexhauftible? 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



( 'Tis now the time of ftrife and war, 
The conteft founds on every fide $ 
Nations are bound to Satan's car, 
And who mail meet him in his pride ? 
Is there no arm his power to break ? 
Are there no hearts that deeply feel ? 
Sons of the kingdom ! rife, awake ! 
Obey, at length, your Saviour's will. 
Go, bear the gofpel banner forth, 
Its glittering web of light unrol, 
To gleam mblime from fouth to north, 
And fcatter light from pole to pole." 



246 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




See where the crofs of duty ftands upright 
Above it fhines the Crown with radiant light $ 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES* 247 

Right in the narrow way the Crofs it Hands, 
And all the fpace completely it commands j 
On either fide behold ! vaft rocks arife, 
Expand their width, and reach the topmoft ikies : 
See numbers there, who fain the Crown would have, 
But will not touch the Crofs their fouls to fave j 
They leek lome other way, but 't will not do, 
They wander on, and find eternal woe. 

But one is feen advancing right ahead, 
And like his Lord — the Crofs he will not dread ; 
He takes it up — 't is feathers — nothing more — 
He travels onward fafter than before ; 
He loves the Crofs, nor ever lays it down, 
Till he receives infread the ftarry Crown. 

On a gently riling ground, a Crofs of fome- 
what large dimeniions is feen to ftand erecT: ; 
above it, and fufpended in the air, a bright Crown 
fparkles with a brilliant light. On both fides of 
the Crofs rocks, vaft and precipitous, lift up their 
tops to the heavens ; on either fide they extend 
as far as the eye can reach. Many perfons are 
feen going round the bafe of the mountain chain ; 
their objecx appears to be to get the Crown ; it 
is theirs if they will but get it according to the 
condition propofed. They have been trying to 
go through the narrow palTage, but the wooden 
crofs blocks up the entrance ; they never think 
of moving that, although they try to climb the 
mountain barrier, which is much more difficult. 
See ! one is now attempting to afcend, but it is 
all in vain — there is no other way than through 
the chafm. Away they go, wandering round 
and round ; fome are feen falling off a precipice, 
they are darned to pieces \ others lofe themfelves 



248 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

among dark labyrinths, and fome are torn to 
pieces by wild beafts. All come to a bad end — 
not one of them obtains the Crown. 

One, however, is feen alone, marching up to 
the terrible Crofs ; he walks with a firm ftep. 
Decifion is his name ; he goes right up to the 
Crofs, he quickly throws it down — it is only a few 
inches in the ground ; he takes it up, its weight 
is nothing, for it is hollow. He carries it to the 
place appointed, lays it down, and receives the 
glittering Crown, and bears it away in triumph. 

By the Crofs here is fignified religious duties ; 
by the Crown — immortality in heaven ; thofe 
who pafs by the Crofs and wander round the 
wall, reprefent thofe who think of heaven, but 
neglect duty \ the man who boldly takes up the 
Crofs — the faithful Chriftian. Many perfons 
think about heaven, who, alas ! will never arrive 
there ; nay, they do more, they actually fet out 
for it — perhaps make a profeffion of religion ; 
they do not like the idea of being loft ; fubmit to 
a partial reformation, and make an approach 
toward the performance of religious duties. 
They juft obtain a fight of them, and they are 
frightened ; this is the Crofs. What is there in 
the Crofs fo dreadful ! Let us fee. Of all who 
prefent themfelves as candidates for heaven, it is 
required that they become poor in fpirit — humble as 
a little child — penitent for fin — "perfect and pure, 
as He is pure" — that they do deny felf — crucify 
the flefh— mortify the body — fubdue inordinate 
defires — fet the affections on things above — hun- 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 249 

ger and thirft after righteoufnefs — forgive enemies 
— fubmit to perfecution for Chrift' s fake — to 
exercife a conftant watch fulnefs over themfelves, 
and againft the world and the devil. The hand, 
if it offends, muft be cut off — the eye plucked 
out. 

They are told of the ftraight gate — the narrow 
way — the yoke — the burden — the race — the 
warfare, &c. Yea, the whole man is to be 
brought under new influences, governed by new 
principles, and to live for new ends. Self-denial, 
felf-difcipline, and felf-conqueft, are made indif- 
penfable prerequifites for the kingdom of Heaven. 
This is the Crofs, it ftands in the path of life ; 
to proceed, it muft be embraced. Chrift is "the 
way" to God. His atonement, example, doc- 
trines, commandments — there is no other way, 
there can be no other — a wall of adamant, wide 
as earth, high as heaven, meets us in our attempts 
to find one ; on which ftands infcribed in letters 
of light, " He that entereth not by the door, but 
climbeth up fome other way, the fame is a thief 
and a robber." 

Religious duties are irkfome and difagreeable 
to the carnal mind — to the unconverted ; it is 
their nature to be fo. By them a man may 
know what he is, whether he is converted or 
not ; the Crofs is a mirror. Religious duties are 
impofed, not that by performing we may earn a 
title to heaven, but becaufe they are neceffary 
for the purification of our moral nature, through 
the grace of Chrift, that we may become meet 



250 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in 
light. To neglect the Crofs is to neglect all ; it 
is to go to the feaft without the wedding gar- 
ment ; it is to go forth to meet the bridegroom 
without light, and without oil in our veffels. 

We may fubftitute fomething elfe for the 
Crofs ; fuch as morality, philofophy, or even 
works of painful penance. It will be all vain ; 
as long as we continue unwarned, unjuftified, 
unfanclified, we are unfafe — in momentary danger 
of hell fire. There is no neutrality in this war. 
In revolutions of States and Empires, thofe who 
do not take up arms againft the foe are deemed 
as enemies ; it is fo here. " He that is not with 
me is againft me, and he that gathereth not with 
me fcattereth abroad. 99 This is the conclufion 
of the whole matter. When Chrift comes to 
judge the world, all who will not now take up 
the Crofs will be regarded as enemies ; inftead of 
the Crown they will have the curfe ; inftead of 
Heaven, everlafting fire with the Devil and his 
angels. 

Hence it is that fo many " draw back to per- 
dition. 99 Ignorant of the great principles of 
religion, of its power to fave, they wear it as a 
cloak to hide the deformity within ; fo inadequate 
are their conceptions of its excellency, that they 
will not facrifice a fingle luft, a momentary grati- 
fication, one darling idol, to enfure the " eternal 
weight of glory 99 which it promifes. 

" No Crofs , no Crown! 99 Some of the early 
difciples of the great Meffiah, when the fpiritual 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



2 5 I 



nature of Chriftianity was prefented to them, 
were "offended, " Their carnal ftomachs loathed 
" the bread which came down from heaven." 
Companions of the world, they rejected the 
" fellowfhip with the Father, and with the Son, 
Jefus Chrift;" the Crofs difpleafed them, and 
with their own hands they infcribed their names 
with thofe " who, having put their hand to the 
plough, looked back, and fo became unfit for the 
kingdom of God." 

" No Crofs, no Crown; 5 ' See ! that young 
man running toward the great Teacher ; what 
can he want with him ? He is a noble man, a 
ruler of the Jews. Strange fight, indeed, to fee ! 
A ruler of the Jews running after the defpifed 
Galilean, What is his bufinefs ? He inquires 
about the way to heaven ; he feems a good deal 
in earneft ; he runs, and kneels at the Saviour's 
feet ; liften to him. O, fays he, " what fhall 
I do that I may inherit eternal life?" " Take 
up the Crofs, and thou malt have treafure in 
heaven," faid the Saviour, as he looked kindly 
upon him. The young man looks " fad," he is 
u fad," and 'tis a " fad" fight to fee. He wants 
the " treafure in heaven." But he wont take 
up the Crofs, and they go together ; God has 
joined them, and what God has joined no man 
can put afunder. He looks at the Saviour again 
inquiringly, as much as to fay, u Is there no 
other way ?" The Saviour underftands him ; he 
points him to the Crofs again, faying, cc Except a 
man deny himfelf, and take up his Crofs, he 



252 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



cannot be my difciple." Fearful crifis, what 
will he do ? The Saviour is looking at him — 
the difciples — the multitude ftanding around — 
God — the holy angels — glorified fpirits — all are 
looking — yea, hell is looking on this fpeftacle. 
What is the iffue ? O, dreadful infatuation ; 
"heaven that hour let fall a tear." He who 
knew the commandments by heart, and v/ho had 
kept them from his youth up — he turns his back 
on Chrift and heaven, and goes away a forrow- 
ful," to be yet more "forrowful" long as eternal 
ages roll. 

Have the Crofs and have the Crown. Look 
again at that young man walking boldly up to the 
Crofs y he lays hold of it exclaiming, u when I 
am weak then am I ftrong > I can do all things 
through Chrift ftrengthening me," He finds it 
u eafy 99 and " light," pleafant and delightful ; he 
bears it faithfully in palaces and in prifons — in 
the wildernefs and in the city — on the fea and on 
the land — among Jew and Greek — Barbarian 
and Scythian — -Bond and Free — every where ex- 
claiming as he goes, " God forbid that I mould 
glory, fave in the Crofs of my Lord and Saviour 
J efus Chrift," and having carried it the appointed 
time lays it at the Saviour's feet, finging trium- 
phantly : 

" I have fought a good fight 5 
I have flnimed my courle j 
I have kept the faith : 
Henceforth there is laid up 
For me — A Crown of Righteousness." 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 253 




They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them 
out of their diftrefles." — Ps. cvii. 28. " Then the waters 
had overwhelmed us." — Ps. cxxiv. 4. 

THE LIFE-BOAT. 



Loud yell the winds efcaped from caves beneath, 
And fummon Ocean to the Feaft of Death ; 
Ocean obeys, high lifts his hoary head, 
With fearful roar, impatient to be fed $ 



254 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



With maddened rage his mountain billows rife, 
And make the earth, and threaten e'en the fkies. 
See the poor bark engulphed — with precious freight — 
Who, who can lave her from impending fate ? 
Old Ocean ftrikes her with tremendous mock. 
And, oh ! fhe's ftranded on a llmken rock ; 
Horror and grief now feize the haplefs crew, 
To hope and life they bid a laft adieu : 
Thoufands on more behold their awful plight, 
But cannot fave them ; 't is a piteous light. 

At this dread crifis, on the mountain wave 
Is feen the " Life-boat, ,, with intent to fave 5 
Onward fhe dallies o'er that fea of ftrife; 
Buoyant and hopeful, 't is a thing of life, 
She makes the wreck, and from its drifting fpars, 
She takes on board the drifting mariners j 
Trip after trip fhe makes — with mercy fraught — 
Till they are fafely carried into port. 



Here is portrayed the life-boat haftening to 
the refcue ; the winds 5 efcaped from their prifon- 
houfe, iffue forth roaring indignantly at having 
been confined fo long. Ocean is fummoned to 
the feaft of Death ; Neptune obeys the fummons 
— inftantly he is all commotion, ftirred up from 
his loweft depths, impatient to fatiate his devour- 
ing appetite ; he dafhes his billows againft the 
earth — he aflails the very heavens. Behold the 
frail fhip expofed to all the fury of his rage ; fhe 
is laden with precious treafure. Her ruin appears 
inevitable. Loud roars Neptune ; loud roar the 
winds ; loud too, fnap and crack the cordage and 
the fails ; high rifes the mountain furf. The bark 
" mounts up to the heaven," deep yawns the 
gulph beneath ; fhe goes down again into the 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



255 



depths ; the crew are cc at their wits' end," their 
foul is melted becaufe of trouble. But inftead of 
calling " upon the Lord in their trouble," that 
He might " bring them out of their diftreffes," 
they drink and are drunken. Still the waves and 
the billows go over them ; at length a mountain 
wave dallies the vefTel on a funken rock, fhe falls 
to pieces ; the men cling to mafts, fpars, and 
broken pieces ; defpair fits on every countenance \ 
multitudes from the more behold the cataftrophe, 
but cannot fuccour. Lamentable fight ! 

At this appalling moment, when all hope is 
taken away of their being faved, the Life-boat is 
launched into the terrific ocean. Will not me 
alfo fall a prey to the watery monfter ? See ! me 
lives above the waves ; her gallant crew impel 
her forward ; on fhe dafhes — me leaps from bil- 
low to billow ; foon fhe reaches the wreck, and 
begins her work of mercy. Quickly (he takes 
the drowning wretches from the drifting fpars, 
giving back to them life and hope. Some, in- 
deed, not yet fobered, will not be faved ; others 
in the fame condition take the u life-prefervers " 
for pirates, that have come to take and fell them 
for naves, therefore refufe to leave the raft. No 
time is to be loft. All they can, they receive on 
board, and carry fafely into port, amid the accla- 
mations of the multitude. 

O what is this but a picture of the goodnefs 
of our God in Chrift, in eftablifhing his Church 
on the earth ? The tempeftuous fea is this world, 
the wreck is man \ the life-boat is the Church, 



256 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 



and the multitudes on more may reprefent the 
heavenly hoft, who look with intereft into the 
affairs of man's redemption. 

The world is indeed a cc troubled fea," a tern- 
peftuous ocean ; it is raifed into fury by the 
breath or fpirit of the " evil one," " the prince 
of the Power of the air," who, having efcaped 
from his prifon-houfe, the u bottomlefs pit," de- 
fcends in great wrath and fummons all the powers 
of evil to aid him in the deftrudtion of mankind. 
Here roll the waves of profanity — there thofe of 
impurity ; here dam with fury the breakers of 
Revenge — there rife impetuous the mountain bil- 
lows of Pride ; on the right are feen the rocks of 
Infidelity — on the left the quickfands of Deftruc- 
tion, while the whirlpools of Mammon abound in 
every part. 

Man, fhipwrecked by the firft tranfgreffion, is 
caft upon this troubled fea, expofed to all its 
dangers ; ignorant and helplefs, he is " toffed 
upon life's ftormy billows." Wave after wave 
rolls him onward to deftruclion ; the whirlpool 
opens wide its mouth to " fwallow him whole, as 
thofe that go down into the pit." Is all loft ? 
muft he become a prey to the devouring ele- 
ments ? Ah ! is there no eye to pity ? no arm 
to fave ? Oh, divine companion ! " God fo 
loved the world," that the Life-boat is launched : 
Jefus is in the midft of her ! he guides her move- 
ments ! his difciples form the crew \ they en- 
counter the ftorm that Satan has raifed ; they 
fpring from wave to wave, from billow to billow, 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



257 



" With cries, entreaties, tears, to fave, 

And fhatch them from the gaping grave." 

They take finners from off the waves that are 
bearing them on to death, and place their feet 
upon the Rock of Salvation. Some are too 
proud to accept deliverance ; iiich are left in 
their fad condition. 

To fpeak without a figure, the Lord Jefus 
Chrift has eftablifhed his church upon the earth, 
for the falvation of men. This is the proper 
bufinefs of the Church, even as of the life-boat, 
to fave men ; its facraments, ordinances, and 
various means of grace, all leading to Chrift, the 
Saviour, are well adapted to do this ; and when 
ufed aright, they never fail to enfure falvation. 
Believe, love, obey, " this do and you lhall live/' 

And whereas the ufefulnefs of the " Life-boat" 
confifted in having her bottom and fides hollow 
and filled with air, fo the ufefulnefs of the Church 
depends upon her being filled with the Holy 
Spirit, with the atmofphere of heaven ; and as 
boats not made air-tight fail to be ufeful in the 
ftorm, and prove the deftrudtion of thofe who 
venture in them, in like manner Churches, lack- 
ing the atmofphere of heaven, being deftitute of 
the power of the Holy Ghoft, fail in being fervice- 
able to the fouls of men, and fink into the " dead 
fea " of forms and ceremonies. 

The Church of Chrift — that is, a company of 
true believers — being filled with the Holy Spirit, 
become inflamed with zeal, and animated with 
love for perifhing finners^ The love of Chrift 

s 



2 5 8 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



conftraineth them, for they thus judge : if Chrift 
u died for all, then were all dead — and that he died 
for all, that they which live fhould not henceforth 
live unto themfelves, but unto him that died for 
them and rofe again." In feeking to fave fouls, 
they feek Chrift's honour and glory, by eftablifh- 
ing his dominion on the earth ; daily the Church, 
influenced thus, makes efforts for the falvation of 
men ; her grand effort is on the Sabbath-day. On 
this day, worldly bufinefs is laid afide ; the Angel 
of Mercy rings her bell around the earth ; the 
Ambaffadors of Heaven appear, and iffue their 
proclamation unto the children of men ; life and 
immortality are offered without money and with- 
out price ; Mercy is aclive on the earth. Foun- 
tains of living waters are opened in dry places ; 
heaven's gates are thrown wide open, and ftreams 
of light and love iffue from the King of Glory. 
Every where finners, perifhing finners, are affec- 
tionately invited to efcape from their fins, and 
take refuge beneath the fanctuary of the Moft 
Holy; — "Wifdom" herfelf "uttereth her voice 
in the ftreets, (he crieth in the chief place of con- 
courfe, in the opening of the gates ; in the city 
me uttereth her words, faying, how long, ye 
fimple ones, will ye love fimplicity, and the 
fcorners delight in their fcorning, and fools hate 
knowledge ? " Neverthelefs, 

" Millions are fhipwrecked on life's ftormy coafr, 
With all their charts on board, and powerful aid, 
Becaufe their lofty pride difdained to learn 
The inftrudtions of a pilot, and a God." 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 259 

As we faw in the cafe of the wreck, that fome 
actually refufed to enter the life-boat, fo it is with 
finners ; alas ! alas ! that it is fo ; they, too, are 
intoxicated, cc drunken, but not with wine," fin 
has intoxicated them ; they are befide themfelves. 
Some will not yield their heart to God, and be 
faved, fimply becaufe they will not ; others do not 
believe the record God has given of his Son, and 
continue expofed to the damnation of thofe "that 
believe not." Others again, miftruft the motives 
of the pious, who feek to lead them from the 
way of death, and think they want only to bring 
them into bondage ; and as the mariners had 
power to remain on the wreck and be drowned, 
fo the finner has power to continue in his fins 
and be damned. Awful power ! fearful refpon- 
fibility ! and yet if man be not free, u how mall 
God judge the world ?" 

The Church, however, as a Spiritual Life-boat, 
continues her benevolent excurfions, and daily 
lands fome faved ones at the port of glory ; and 
when fhe lhall have made her laft trip, through 
that tempeft that (hall make a wreck of earth, 
then mall arife from countlefs myriads the fong of 
triumph and of praife : — 

" Blefling, and honour, and glory, and power, 
Be unto Him that fitteth upon the throne, 
And unto the Lamb, for ever and ever." 



S 2 



260 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




" For the wifdom of this world is foolifhnefs with God." — I Cor. 
iii. 19. "If they have called the Matter of the houfe 
Beelzebub, how much more mall they call them of his 
houfehold?" — Matt. x. 25. 



OBEDIENCE AND WISDOM. 

Here is Self-Will, fo called by men below, 
Struggling alone his upward path to go ; 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Though fteep and rugged he will perfevere ; 
The way he knows is right, then wherefore fear ? 
His friends and foes alike pronounce him mad j 
His friends are forry, but his foes are glad 5 
One pulls him by the ikirt to keep him back, 
Another runs before to crofs his track 5 
One with a club refolves to flop his courfe, 
And, right or wrong, to bring him back by force ; 
But they are wrong, and wrong the title given, 
Self-will on earth — Obedience is in heaven. 

Next Folly — nicknamed — here is feen to rife 
And climb the path that leads to yonder ikies ; 
Honours and mining gold his pathway crofs, 
Yet he efteems them but as dung and drofs ; 
Old famioned things prefers, o'ergrown with ruft, 
And ftars and garters tramples in the duft. 
Judging the man by earth's acknowledged rule, 
The lookers on denounce him for a fool 5 
The world is wrong again, the man is right 5 
His name is Wifdom in the realms of light. 

In this picture, on the one hand, is feen a man 
urging his way up a fteep and rugged path ; his 
name is recorded. He is oppofed, ftill he 
doggedly perfeveres ; friends and foes alike are 
aftoniihed at his proceedings. The former are 
grieved, the latter rejoice at the profpect of his 
certain ruin. Some of his friends are determined 
to arreft his progrefs ; one feizes hold of him by 
the fkirt, another, more intent, tries to get 
a-head of him in order to ftop him ; a third, yet 
more violent, purfues him with the bludgeon, 
and is determined, if fair means fail, to employ 
force. Neverthelefs, he obftinately perfifts in 
the path he has chofen ; he believes it to be 
right y he will not give in, They employ threats 



262 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



and promifes, but all to no purpofe ; out of all 
patience with him, they ufe up a whole vocabu- 
lary of opprobrious epithets. He is felf-willed, 
obftinate, ftubborn, &c. ; one by one, however, 
at length they leave him, and go about their 
bufinefs, and the man, no longer molefted, goes 
along the way which to him appears to be right, 
and which he is determined to follow. 

On the other hand, one is feen preffing for- 
ward up a rough and difficult pafs ; his name, 
alfo, is apparent. On his path lie fcattered 
profufely, Riches and Honours, of various kinds ; 
there is the trumpet of Fame, with Stars and 
Garters, and many other things of equal value ; 
thefe appear to be at his command — he may ride 
in a coach drawn by fix beautiful horfes, and yet 
he prefers to toil and tug along that rough road 
on foot. This Arrange condudt excites the 
fcorn, ridicule, and laughter of thofe who behold 
him ; they denounce him. as a fool — they know 
that they would aft very differently, and they are 
wife men. The man, however, regardlefs alike 
of their fcorn and jefts, goes his own way ; and 
after a while, they go theirs. 

The traveller, here called Self-will, reprefents 
the Chriftian, or man of Piety, in every age ; the 
fteep and rugged way, Chriftian conduit ; the 
traveller's opponents, the Chriftian's adverfaries, 
or men of the world. The Chriftian is one who 
is anointed with the Spirit of Chrift ; he receives 
a heavenly call ; he is not difobedient thereto ; 
he knows in whom and in what he believes. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 263 

The path he is commanded to follow may be a 
difficult one, very difficult to flefti and blood; 
it is a new and ft range way ; it is fo to himfelf 
in many refpects, but God has called him to walk 
in it — he will obey. He walks by faith, not by 
fight, merely. His friends become alarmed at 
his conduct, and at firft approach him with 
tendernefs, befeeching him to give up his new- 
fangled notions ; though he loves them fincerely, 
he cannot, he dare not yield to their folicitations. 
They remonftrate, they threaten, but all in vain; 
he is determined, nothing will move him ; he 
even invites them to go with him ; nothing 
would give him greater fatiffaclion than to have 
them for companions ; they will not be perfuaded, 
and, mourning over what they confider his felf- 
will and ftubbornnefs, permit him, at length, to 
have his own way. 

Others of a more hoftile character, but equally 
blind, who know nothing of the Chriftian's 
motives and aims, who put darknefs for light, 
and light for darknefs, call fweet bitter and bitter 
fweet, befet the man with foul and abufive 
language. They revile and flander him, they 
maltreat and perfecute him ; they believe him to 
be an obftinate, ft up id fellow — one who will 
have his own way at all hazards, 

The man of God endures all things, and hopes 
all things ; he prays for thofe who oppofe him ; 
he gives them good advice, and tells them, " As 
for me and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord/' 
But God fees not as man fees ; Heaven approves 



264 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

of his conduct ; hallelujahs refounded above 
when firft he ftarted on the way ; new fhouts of 
angelic applaufe might have been heard, when 
he perfifted to walk in it. God has enrolled his 
name among his obedient ones, and when earth's 
records, doings, and opinions, mail be no more, 
he will receive, amid ten thoufand thoufand 
witnefles, the welcome plaudit of u Well done, 
good and faithful fervant, enter thou into the joy 
of thy Lord." 

A wonderful example of what the world calls 
felf-will, lived many years fince. An old man, 
who knew nothing about the bufinefs, took it 
into his head to turn fhipwright and build a fhip. 
Such a thing had never been heard of : of fuch 
enormous dimenfions, too, that it was very clear 
there could not be water enough to float it ; and 
a thoufand idle things were faid about the old 
man and his wild and wilful undertaking. Yet 
he was felf- willed ; day after day found him at 
his work—he knew what he was about — -he 
knew who had commanded him ; he doubted 
not but that there would be water enough to 
float his fhip by and by, nor was he miftaken. 
His obedience had its full reward, and the lone 
Ark, floating majeftically on the world of waters, 
teftified that it is better to obey God than man. 

The man Folly, his path, and the treatment 
he meets with, ferve alfo to illuftrate Chriftian 
character. The Chriftian is called to forfake 
home and friends, houfes and lands, riches and 
honours, whenever they in any meafure ftand in 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 265 

the way of duty. The heavenly commiflion he 
has received makes it incumbent on him to deny 
feif, take up his crofs, to bear the yoke, and to 
become a pilgrim in the world. He is faithful 
to his calling. Pleafure courts him, but he 
embraces her not. Wealth entices, but he con- 
fents not. Honours and glories folicit him, but 
all in vain. He rejects them all. He will not 
have a clog to his foul. He is free, and he 
knows the value of his freedom. The poor 
flaves of fin and earth know no more of the man 
and his purfuits, than of the angel Gabriel and 
his employments in paradife. To them, this 
fpurner of gold, this rejector of honours, this 
trampler on earth, is a fool and a madman : he is 
befide himfelf, and fo he is denounced accord- 
ingly. They judge of him and his conduct by 
the rules of earth, but he follows another ftandard. 
As well might the oyfter buried in the fand 
attempt to pafs judgment on the towering eagle 
when he flies on the wings of the ftorm, mounts 
and mingles with the new-born light, and rejoices 
in the boundleffnefs of fpace. 

The Chriftian rejects what he knows, upon the 
authority of Truth and the God of Truth, to be 
worthless in themfelves, unfatiffactory in their 
nature, and tranfitory in their continuance. He 
receives and holds faft what is invaluable, fatiffy- 
ing, and eternal. And when the light of the 
laft conflagration mail reveal the fecrets of all 
hearts, and declare the value of all things, then 
will it be feen that the Chriftian has governed 



266 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



himfelf according to the rules of the higheft 

Wifdom. 

Thus it was with the man of meeknefs ; he 
gave up a kingfhip and royalty, and formed an 
alliance with a troop of flaves ; he relinquiflied 
the fplendours of a court for the terrors of a 
defert ; a life of luxurious eafe for one of peril and 
fatigue. By the men of his generation his con- 
duit was regarded as foolifh and abfurd, but his 
appearance on the glorious mount of transfigura- 
tion, as an Ambaffador of the fkies, encircled 
with the fplendours of Heaven, proclaims to the 
world that " the fear of the Lord is the beginning 
of Wifdom" and the love of him its higheft 
confummation. 

Look again at the young man of Tarlus ; fee 
him refign the profeffor's chair to become a 
teacher of barbarians. The ruler of the Jews 
becomes the fervant of the Gentiles ; the friend 
of the great and powerful becomes the companion 
of the weak and contemptible ; the inmate of 
a manfion becomes a vagabond on the earth, 
u having no certain dwelling place." He 
embraces hunger, thirft, and nakednefs ; the dun- 
geon, the fcourge, and the axe. The world has 
pronounced its verdi£t upon him — he was a 
" madman," " a peft," " a difturber of the public 
peace," u a ringleader of the defpifed." The 
cafe, however, is pending in a higher court, 
and when thofe who " fleep in the duft of the 
earth fhall awake," and Paul, " mining as the 
brightnefs of the firmament," takes rank among 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



267 



the "wife" the verdicT: of Heaven will have 
been recorded. 

" Wifdom is humble, faid the voice of God, 
* 'Tis proud, the world replied. Wifdom, faid God, 
Forgives, forbears, and fuffers, not for fear 
Of man, but God. Wifdom revenges, faid 
The world 5 is quick and deadly of refentment ; 
Thrufts at the very fhadow of affront, 
And haftes by Death to wipe its honour clean. 
Wifdom, faid God, is higheft when it ftoops 
Loweft before the Holy Throne 5 throws down 
Its crown, abafed 5 forgets itfelf, admires, 
And breathes adoring praife." 



268 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




If iinners entice thee, confent thou not." — Prov. i. 10. "Lean 
not unto thine own underftanding." — Prov. iii. 5. 

DANGER OF PRESUMPTION. 

Behold where Winter on his ftormy throne, 
With icy fceptre fways the world alone 5 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



269 



From ar£Hc regions fierce the whirlwinds blow, 

And earth, all fhivering, wears her robe of fnow ; 

The leaflefs foreft murmurs to the blaft, 

The rufhing river now is fettered faft ; 

And clouds and fhadows fettling over all, 

Wrap lifelefs nature in her funeral pall. 

Some youths now haften to the frozen lake, 

And on to fchool their way with pleafure take 5 

Nor go alone, but others they entice 

With them to frolic on the flippery ice 5 

The way is pleafant, fmoother far to go, 

Than o'er the mountain through the drifted fnow : 

One, and one only, makes a wifer choice ; 

He will not hearken unto Pleafure 's voice : 

Awhile the others guide along the lake, 

When all at once the ice begins to break 5 

In — in they plunge ! In vain their piteous tones — 

The waters quickly hum their gurgling groans. 

Here we fee the danger of prefumption — the 
fruits of difobedience. It was a winter's day, the 
fnow had fallen, and earth was clad in her robes 
of white ; the north wind had moaned through 
the foreft, and the ponds and rivers were partially- 
frozen over. Some village fchoolboys, about to 
ftart for the fchool-houfe, which was fituated at 
fome diftance on the other fide of a mountain, 
were admonifhed by their parents not to go by the 
way of the lake that lay round the foot of the 
mount ; the parents judging it to be unfafe, the 
command was given with all poffible earneftnefs 
and tendernefs. Well would it have been for the 
boys had they obeyed ; as foon as they were out 
of fight Harry whifpered to Charles that " it 
would be much more pleafant to go by the way of 
the lake, than to trudge it over the mountain, and 



27O RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

nobody could know anything about it." After a 
few moments' paufe Charles agreed \ others now 
are invited to accompany them — u the more the 
merrier," fay they ; one by one they give their 
aflent, and all, except Samuel, who forgot not his 
parents' injunction, and who preferred trudging 
through the drifts of fnow over the mountain, to 
difobeying his parents' command — all refolve to 
take the fmoother and pleafanter way acrofs the 
lake. They doubt not but it will bear ; they 
anticipate a fine time ; they hefitate not to truft 
the ice, though they will not truft the word of 
their parents. On they venture — away they 
glide o'er the flippery furface, with the wind 
behind them — full of delight they Aide along ; 
they fee Samuel working his way through the 
fnow \ full of fun and laughter, they with 
difficulty flop to ridicule him, when behold ! their 
entire weight is more than the ice will bear ; 
fuddenly it breaks — in, in they go, down ! down! 
they fink ; — the cold waters clofe over them— 
they are loft. The fchool-bell rings, but they are 
not there; one only of the party has arrived to 
tell to the teacher and the reft of the fcholars the 
difmal tale. 

From the commoneft events in life we may 
gather inftruftion ; the bee difdains not to gather 
honey from the meaneft flower. The Almighty 
is the great Parent of all, the Father of the 
fpirits of all that live. He has not forgotten the 
work of his own hands, he takes pleafure in the 
fecurity and happinefs of his children ; he governs 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 27 1 

the world by laws — fixed, unalterable laws — 
except when he alters them for feme efpecial 
purpofe, as in the cafe of miracles. His natural 
laws prevail in the heavens above, in the earth 
beneath, and in the waters under the earth ; the 
law of gravitation, by which a body unfupported 
falls, exifts everywhere, extends to the Temoteft 
ftar or planet, and binds all material objects to a 
common centre ; the law of motion, by which a 
body once put in motion continues in that ftate, 
if it be not refilled by the action of an external 
caufe — thefe laws and others govern the univerfe 
of matter, and they are uniform. Fire always 
burns, water always drowns, and ice fupports 
bodies in exacT: proportion to its quality and thick- 
nefs. 

But for fpirits, God has given laws that are 
fpiritual ; in wifdom he has given them to his 
creatures ; thefe, too, are all fixed and unal- 
terable : " Except ye repent, ye mall periih." 
The way of fin always leads to difgrace, forrow, 
and eternal death ; the path of duty or piety 
always to honour, happinefs, and everlafting life ; 
they have always done fo, they ever will do fo ; 
God has admoniflied the children of men of this 
truth : he has plainly pointed out the two paths, 
their character, tendency, and end ; and having 
done this, he, in the moft afFectionate manner, 
urges us to follow the path of life. " Behold/' 
fays He, and wonder at the announcement, " I 
fet before you Life and Death, Blefling and 
Curfing j choofe Life, that you may live." 



272 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



" Placed for his trial on this buttling ftage, 
From thoughtlefs youth to ruminating age, 
Free in his will to choofe or to refufe, 
Man may improve the crifis, or abufe ; 
Elfe, on the fatalirVs unrighteous plan, 
Say to what bar amenable were man ? 
With nought in charge he could betray no truft j 
And if he fell, would fall becaufe he muft. 
If Love reward him, or if Vengeance ftrike, 
His recompenfe in both unjuft alike. 
Divine authority within his breaft 
Brings every thought, word, aclion, to the ten: ; 
Warns him or prompts, approves him or reftrains, 
As reafon, or as paffion, takes the reins ; 
Heaven from above, and confcience from within, 
Cries in his ftartled ear — abftain from fin 5 
The world around folicits his defire, 
And kindles in his foul a treacherous fire ; 
While all his purpofes and fteps to guard, 
Peace follows virtue as its fure reward j 
And Pleafure brings as furely in her train 
Remorfe, and forrow, and vindictive pain." 

The boys who broke through the ice and 
perifhed, had been faithfully warned ; the two 
ways had been diftinctly marked out to them ; 
they followed their own courfe ; they prefumed 
their parents might not know everything, they 
•night not know how hard it had frozen during 
the night — that the ice was ftrong enough to bear 
them — there was no danger. The fa£t was, the 
way of duty looked difficult, and the way forbidden 
eafy and delightful : they had their reward. So 
it is with the finner, man ; he pr^efumes that he 
may violate the laws of God with impunity, that 
he will not punifh, that the way is a fafe one — - 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



2 73 



although God has faid, u the end thereof is 
death." The truth is, the way of piety feems 
hard, fteep, and difficult, and the way of fin 
fmooth and agreeable to his carnal nature; hence 
he ventures on, at firft with diffidence, afterward 
with vain confidence; he entices others to accom- 
pany him in his finful pleafures — this makes it 
more dangerous ; they ftrengthen each other in 
wickednefs, but u though hand join in hand, the 
wicked (hall not go unpunimed/' 

To mow the influence of bad example, and 
the danger of prefumption, Baxter has related the 
following anecdote : U A man was driving a flock 
of fat lambs, and fomething meeting them and 
hindering their paftage, one of the lambs leaped 
upon the wall of the bridge, and his legs flipping 
from under him, he fell into the ftream ; the reft, 
feeing him, did as he did, one after one leaped 
over the bridge into the ftream, and were all, or 
almoft all, drowned. Thofe that were behind 
did little know what was become of them that 
were gone before, but thought they might venture 
to follow their companions ; but as foon as ever 
they were over the wall and falling headlong, the 
cafe was altered. Even fo it is with unconverted, 
carnal men ; one dieth by them and drops into 
hell, and another follows the fame way; and yet 
they will go after them, becaufe they think not 
where they are gone. O, but when death hath 
once opened their eyes, and they fee what is on 
the other fide of the wall, even in another world, 

T 



274 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



then what would they give to be where they once 
were." 

Laft fummer I noticed a little incident that 
may ferve to illuftrate our fubject ; the fame 
thing, no doubt, is of frequent occurrence. An 
infect had entered the houfe and was upon the 
back of a chair ; having walked to the end, it 
very circumfpeftly employed its feelers above, 
below, and all around. Afcertaining that the 
fide was flippery and precipitous, it turned round 
and went back again ; this it did feveral times, 
nor would it leave its pofition until it could do fo 
with fafety. And yet man — man, with the pow- 
ers aim oil of an angel, rufties blindly on to ruin. 

It is well known that the elephant, when 
about to crofs a bridge, puts his foot down in- 
quiringly to afcertain its ftrength, nor will he 
proceed unlefs he is fatiffied the bridge is fuffi- 
ciently ftrong to fupport him ; but the tranlgreffor 
ventures on the bridge of fin, beneath which 
rolls the river of eternal woe, bearing with him 
the weight of his immortal interefts, the " vaft 
concerns of an eternal ftate." 

By the laws of motion, the boy Aiding or 
Ikating on the ice cannot eafily flop himfelf, and 
fometimes he rufhes into the openings or air- 
holes, that are often found on the furface, and 
meets with an untimely end. 

It is fo with the laws of fin ; the finner in- 
creafes his momentum as he advances ; from 
hearkening to the counfel of the " ungodly," he 
proceeds to the way of open " finners," — a little 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 275 

further and he fits complacently in the feat of the 
" fcornful." Now his doom is fealed ! 

Thus it was with Babylon's proud king ; not 
content with having been an idolator all his life, 
againft his better knowledge — for the judgment 
that befell his forefather, Nebuchadnezzar, muft 
have inftrufted him — he would ridicule the true 
religion, he would infult the Majefty of Heaven. 
He fends for the facred vefTels of the Sanftuary, 
that he and his companions may magnify them- 
felves over the captive tribes of Ifrael. But 
behold ! in the midft of his blafphemous revelry, 
the Hand — the terrible hand, appears, and the 
prefumptuous monarch, after having feen his 
doom recorded on the wall of his own palace, is 
fuddenly cut down, and his kingdom given to 
another. 



T 2 



276 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




"My heart is fixed." — Ps. cviii. 1. " I prefs toward the mark 
for the prize." — Phil. iii. 14. 



DECISION AND PERSEVERANCE. 

See where the Alps rear up their giant brow ! 
King of the mounts, with coronet of mow $ 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



277 



Scorning all time and change, his ftalwart form, 

Endures the peltings of eternal ftorm 5 

In awful pride, enthroned above the fkies, 

Peaks upon peaks in matchlefs grandeur rife : 

'Mid frowning glaciers, on whofe icy creft 

The favage vulture builds its craggy neft, 

The fathomlefs abyfs extends beneath, 

And leads the traveller to the realms of death : 

Napoleon comes in queft of fame and power, 

He fcans the mounts that high above him tower. 

Though " barely pon T lble, ,, he will " advance,' 1 

And in Italia plant the flag of France j 

In vain the mountain, like a dreadful ghoft, 

Rifes to frighten the advancing hoft. 

O'er towering cliff and yawning gulf he fpeeds, 

He means to pafs, nor aught of danger heeds ; 

He fcales the fummit with his conquering train, 

And like the vulture fwoops upon the plain. 

Here the Alps lift up their fnow-capped heads 
in av/ful fublimity ; their icy pinnacles tower 
above the clouds ; their coloffal forms arife, 
mountain on mountain piled. To all fave the 
bounding chamois or his intrepid purfuer, they 
appear inacceffible ; here vaft overhanging preci- 
pices threaten deftruction, and there the treache- 
rous abyfs lies concealed, ready to engulf the 
unwary traveller ; Winter reigns fupreme upon 
his throne of defolation ; eternal tempefts in- 
creafe the horror of the fcene. In vain does the 
famiihed traveller fearch for fome ftunted lichen, 
or the fmalleft animal, to fave him from ap- 
proaching death ; he fees nothing but boundlefs 
feas of ice — no figns of life are there — it feems 
the very tomb of nature ; the folemn folitude is 



278 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



broken only by the roar of the tempeft or the 
thunder of the avalanche. 

Yet over all thefe obftacles Napoleon would 
advance ; he inquires of the engineer Marefcot, 
who has juft explored the wild paffes of the St. 
Bernard, if it is poflible to pafs. u Barely pof- 
fible" anfwers the officer. " Very well," fays 
Napoleon, u en avant," " advance," and at the 
head of his army of above 30,000 men, with 
their arms, horfes, and artillery, he commences 
the arduous pafTage. The mountains feem to 
bid defiance to the utmoft efforts of the martial 
hoft ; but dangers and difficulties deter him not ; 
like the gale that wafts the veffel fooner into 
port, they only urge him on toward the object of 
his ambition ; he conduits the army over flippery 
glaciers, wide yawning ravines, and eternal fnows; 
he braves the fury of the tempeft, and the cram 
of the avalanche — -and overcoming every obfta- 
cle, he fwoops upon Italy like the Alpine eagle 
upon his prey. 

In the conduct of Napoleon in this inftance, 
we have a ftriking example of decifion and perfe- 
verance. If we can u out of the eater bring 
forth meat," and u from the ftrong bring forth 
fweetnefs," it will be well. 

The importance of pofTeffing a decided cha- 
racter is beft feen in its refults, as the value of a 
tree is beft known by its fruits ; by its aid Napo- 
leon accomplished the objects of his ambition — 
fame, and wealth, and glory, and power. With 
it, a man attains that which he fets his heart 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 279 

upon \ without it, he becomes eafily difcouraged 
and fails. With it, he controls his own move- 
ments, and influences alfo the conduct of others ; 
without it, he lofes his own individuality, and be- 
comes a creature of circumftances. In fine, man 
without decifion, is like a rudderlefs velTel, tofled 
upon an uncertain fea ; while the decided cha- 
racter, like the genius of the ftorm, commands 
the winds and the waves, and they obey him. 

The importance of decifion being fo apparent, 
it becomes an interefting inquiry, " How can it 
be obtained?" After a proper object of purfuit 
is feledted, it feems eflential that a fuller know- 
ledge of the objeft mould be fecured ; no pains 
ought to be fpared in order to obtain a perfect 
knowledge of the object or profeffion, in all its 
parts ; this is neceflary to the foundation of fuch 
a character. The traveller who knows his way 
walks with a firm ftep, while he that is in doubt 
about his path advances with hefitation. 

Another thing deemed eflential, is Confidence in 
the object of our choice, that it will yield us 
fatiffaction ; poflefling a knowledge of our route, 
and a belief that at the end of our journey we 
mall be at home, the things that difcourage others 
have no influence at all upon us. So it is with 
the decided character, in the path he has chofen. 
Does oppofition prefent itfelf? he aflumes the 
attitude of a gladiator, determined to conquer or 
die. Does danger appear, as it did to Shadrach 
and his companions, when the burning fiery 
furnace flood in their path ? he burns the more 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



ardently to fulfil his million. Is he ridiculed, as 
were the builders of the walls of Jerufalem ? he 
heeds it not, he ftill goes forward. Finally, does 
he find himfelf forfaken ? it throws him on his 
own refources, it makes him firmer in his pur- 
pofe, as the tree that ftands alone and braves the 
ftorm ftrikes deeper its roots into the ground. 
If engaged in a good caufe, he is, like Milton's 
Abdiel, 

" Faithful found 
Among the faithlefs, faithful only he 
Among innumerable falfe, unmoved, 
Unbroken, unfeduced, unterrirled, 
His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal. 
Nor number, nor example, with him wrought, 
To fwerve from truth or change his conitant mind, 
Though lingle. ,, 

In the cafe of Napoleon the above points were 
exemplified ; he felected, as the object of his 
choice, military warfare— he made himfelf ac- 
quainted with every thing belonging to it as a 
fcience. He had confidence in it, as a means of 
procuring him the .higheft objects of his am- 
bition ; hence his devotion to it — hence his perfe- 
verance ; dangers and difficulties are feized as 
allies — he rifes with the ftorm, and u barely poffi- 
ble " is to him an aflurance of fuccefs. 

To the Chriftian foldier, decifion is of the 
higheft importance ; he has fele&ed the Chriftian 
warfare as a means of procuring to him, " Glory, 
Honour, and Immortality." u If the righteous 
are fcarcely faved/' it behoves him to know what 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



belongs to " his calling." He needs a knowledge 
of himfelf, of his duties, and of his privileges; a 
knowledge of the way, its dangers, and its dif- 
ficulties ; a knowledge of his enemies, their 
methods, and their power; a knowledge of his 
Almighty leader, of his Spirit, and of his word. 
He needs a living, practical faith, in religion, that 
it wll fecure to him " Eternal Life." Oppo- 
fition, danger, and death, may ftare him in the 
face, but if decided, he will fay, u none of thefe 
things move me," " my heart is fixed, I will 
fing and give praife ;" and having fought the 
good fight of faith, he will be enrolled among 
thofe who perfevere to the end, and are faved : — 

te Faith, mighty faith, the promife fees and looks to that 
alone, 

Laughs at impoffibilities, and cries, 6 It {hall be done !' " 

Decifion of character may, however, belong to 
very different individuals ; to the bad as well as 
the good, to Satan as well as to Abdiel. We 
may, like Enoch, u fet ourfelves " to walk with 
God ; or be like the wicked whofe " heart is 
fully fet in them to do evil." We may fay with 
pious Jofhua, " choofe you this day whom ye will 
ferve, but as for me and my houfe we will ferve 
the Lord ;" or with ambitious Pizarro, we may 
draw the line with the fword, and fay, a on this 
fide lie poverty and Panama, on that, Peru and 
gold ; as for me and the brave, we will crofs the 
line." With the martyr Paul, we may exclaim, 
" I go to Jerufalem, though bonds and afflictions 



282 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



await me there." Or with the patriot Pompey, 
cc It is neceflary for me to be at Rome, though it 
is not neceffary for me to live." 

The following anecdotes related by Fofter, 
exhibit ftriking examples of decifion and perfe- 
verance : — 

" An eftimable old man, being on a jury, in a 
trial of life and death, was completely fatiffied of 
the innocence of the prifoner ; the other eleven 
were of the oppofite opinion, but he was refolved 
the man mould not be condemned. As the firft 
effort for preventing it, he made application ro the 
minds of his aflbciates, but he found he made no 
impreffion ; he then calmly told them that he 
would fooner die of famine than releafe them at 
the expenfe of the prifoner's life. The refultwas 
a verdict of acquittal." What follows is a lefs 
worthy inftance : — 

" A young man having wafted, in two or three 
years, a large fortune, was reduced to abfolute 
want. He went out, one day, with the intention 
of putting an end to his life ; wandering along he 
came to the brow of an eminence that overlooked 
what were once his own eftates ; here he fat 
down and remained fixed in thought fome hours. 
At length he fprang up with a vehement exulting 
emotion — he had formed the refolution that all 
thefe eftates fhould be his own again ; he had 
formed his plan alfo, which he began immediately 
to execute ; he walked forward determined to 
feize the very firft opportunity to gain money, 
and refolved not to fpend a cent of it, if he could 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 283 

help it. The firft thing was a heap of coals mot 
before a houfe ; he offered to wheel them into 
their place — he received a few pence for his 
labour ; he then afked for fomething to eat, 
which was given him. In this way he proceeded, 
always turning his gains to fome advantage, till 
in the end he more than realized his loft pof- 
feffions, and died a mifer, worth more than a 
quarter of a million of dollars." 



284 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




"The fool rageth."— Prov. xiv. 16. "Let patience have her 
perfect work." — James i. 4. 

PASSION AND PATIENCE. 

Behold here ! PafTion, (tamping, mad with rage ; 
He tries the knotted cord to dilengage. 
He twifts and twirls, and fumes and frets in vain, 
And all impatient cuts the cord in twain. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



285 



See ! there is gold ! that Providence has fent : 
Favour abufed — it feeds his difcontent. 
His foul a tempeft — ftorms around him rife ; 
Thunder and lightning make the trembling Ikies : 
A troubled ocean — white with foaming fpray, 
Whofe reftlefs waters caft up mire and clay. 

But mark the contrail ! Patience, much at eafe, 
Th" intricate cord unravels by degrees. 
No bags of gold has he. But what is more, 
He has content — of this an ample ftore ; 
While the bright Rainbow, Iparkling in the fky, 
Is pledge to him of future joys on high : 
His foul a calm — by mellow light careffed ; 
A placid lake — whofe waters are at reft. 

Two very different characters are here pre- 
ferred to our view : Paffion, ftorming, wild with 
rage — Patience, calm and tranquil. For fome 
time Paflion has been endeavouring to unravel a 
hank of entangled twine or cord. In his great 
hurry, he entangles it more and more. It is full 
of knots y he grows hot with rage ; his face is 
mifcreated ; he wears the afpe£t of a fury. 
Stamping with anger, he tramples upon fome toys 
that lay near him, and breaks them into pieces. 
A bag of gold is feen {landing at his fide. This 
only feeds his pride ; it makes him more outrage- 
ous to think that he mould have fuch work 
afligned him. A tempeft is feen to arife behind 
him ; the clouds gather blacknefs ; thunders roll ; 
fearful lightnings glare around. This is to mow 
the ftate of his mind — wild, fiery, and tem- 
peftuous. He is alfo fully reprefented by the 
troubled fea, feen in the back ground. Tumul- 
tuous, it tofles its foaming billows ; its reftlefs 



286 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



water cafts up mire and dirt. So his troubled 
fpirit, agitated by the tumult of his paffions, gives 
utterance to oaths, blafphemies, and imprecations. 
Miferable youth ! The fire of hell is enkindled 
within him ! 

Patience^ on the other hand, fits with unruffled 
compofure. He too has had the fame work 
affigned him. He has the knotted cord to un- 
ravel; but he goes about it in the fpirit of duty; 
patiently he unties knot after knot, overcomes 
difficulty after difficulty, until the whole is 
cleared. He has finiflied his tafk; he is feen 
looking upward, to mow that he feeks' help and 
counfel from on high. A heavenly light defcends 
and fheds its luftre round about him. Help is 
afforded. In the back ground is feen a placid 
lake; this denotes the compofure of his mind. 
Not a wave of perplexity dames acrofs his peace- 
ful breaft. He has not riches ; no gold is feen 
mining by his fide ; he is, however, contented 
with his condition ; nor is he without hope of 
future good. The Bow of Promife, glittering in 
the diftant fky, intimates to us that he looks 
forward to a future recompenfe. 

Pajfion reprefents a man of the world ; one 
who has his portion in this life. The Almighty 
Father has appointed a work to all men; yea, 
everything living, moving, creeping, fwimming, 
flying, has its work to do. Duty is incumbent 
upon all. It is a condition of exiftence ; it is 
alfo a condition of happinefs. Man is under this 
univerfal law. The man of the world, lacking 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



287 



the proper qualifications for duty, fails in dis- 
charging it aright. He works from wrong motives, 
and for wrong ends : he does all to the glory of 
felf. No wonder he makes fuch bungling work 
of it. 

By the knotted cord, may be understood thofe 
difficult paffages of life through which man, as 
fuch, has to pafs — afflictions, difappointments, 
&c. Thefe are more than the worldly-minded 
man can bear. The reafon feems clear enough. 
He has fet his heart upon earthly objects ; hence 
the removal of thefe objects from him affects him 
very fenfibly. Thefe are thy gods, O man of the 
world ! When trouble comes, of courfe he does 
not look upward ; he has no bufinefs there. He 
looks down — down — continually. " He leans to 
his own underftanding," inftead of waiting for 
further developments. He becomes impatient, 
fretful, peevifh, angry, and paffionate. He would 
curfe God and die, if he was not afraid to die. 
He is 

" Inftantly, with wild demoniac rage, 
For breaking all the chains of Providence, 
And burfting his confinement, though fait barr'd 
By laws divine and human." 

Providence may have lavifhed wealth upon him ; 
he fpurns the giver, he abufes his gifts. His 
pride becomes more inflamed ; his table becomes 
a fnare unto him ; his riches add to his difcontent. 
What he needs, though he may not know it, is a 
hope beyond the grave. He has title-deeds 
enough on parchment, but none to the kingdom 



288 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



of heaven — houfes and lands, but no u hiding- 
place " in which to enter when the great day of 
His wrath ftiall come. He has no anchor to 
enable his veffel to ride out the gales of adverfity. 
Clouds and darknefs furround him; a tempeft is in 
his path ; he is a cloud carried with the tempeft, 
to whom is referved the mift of darknefs for ever; 
a troubled fea, which cannot reft, whofe waters 
caft up mire and dirt. 

Patience reprefents the man of God — him who 
has chofen God and the world to come for his 
portion. In this world, he, too, has prefented to 
him the knotted cord — trials, perplexities, and 
afflictions. Man is born to trouble. He endures 
all things as feeing him who is invifible ; in 
patience he pofTefTeth his foul. He looks at the 
difficulty calmly ; he confiders what is beft to be 
done, and which is the beft way to do it. If it 
is beyond his power or fkill, he looks to God for 
affiftance. The compofed ftate of his mind gives 
him a great advantage over the impatient one ; 
but if he finds his own arm too fhort, he is 
intimate with One who is mighty to fave, and 
who is a very prefent help in times of trouble. 
Soon the knot is untied, the difficulty is over- 
come, and the victory is gained. Hence a holy 
calm pervades him ; he knows that all things are 
working together for his good. His foul is like a 
placid lake, reflecting the rofy light of heaven. 

Earth to him may be a tempeftuous ocean ; 
but the eye of faith ever fees the beacon of truth 
gleaming acrofs its dark blue wave, pointing him 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



289 



to the haven of repofe. Therefore, though caft 
down, he is not deftroyed — perplexed, yet never 
in defpair. He reckons that his light afflictions 
will work for him a far more exceeding and 
eternal weight of glory. He looks not at the 
things which are feen, but at thofe that are not 
feen. He has no gold — he is poor y but the bow 
of promife fpans for him its glorious arch. u He 
is joyful in hope." He is reminded of his inherit- 
ance above. There he has a throne at the right 
hand of the King of Glory — a manfion in the 
Ikies — a bower in Paradife — a reft in Abraham's 
bofom — a fhelter from the ftorm — a city which 
has foundations. No wonder that he fets his 
affections on things that are above. There is his 
portion fair — there, too, is his heart — there is his 
eternal dwelling place. He would rather have 
the lot of Lazarus here, and his portion hereafter, 
than fare fumptuoufly every day with Dives, and 
be perplexed with him at laft in the hell of 
torment. As he walks through the vale of 
poverty and diftrefs, the heavenly light mines 
around him, and awakens the voice of fong : 

" Although the fig-tree fhall not bloflbm, 
Neither fhall fruit be in the vines - y 
The labour of the olive fhall fail, 
And the fields fhall yield no meat 5 
The flocks fhall be cut off from the fold, 
And there fhall be no herd in the ftalls : 
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord — 
I will joy in the God of my Salvation." 

How greatly is Patience to be preferred before 
u 



290 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Paffion. Paffion is a fury, breathing out threat- 
ening and daughter ; Patience is a cherub, 
whifpering words of love and joy. Paffion is a 
temped, charged with lightnings, hail, and thun- 
der ; Patience is a holy calm, where peace reigns 
and ftillnefs triumphs. The one is a troubled 
fea, cafting up mire and dirt — the other, a placid 
lake illumined by the mellow light of heaven. 
The one a foretafte of the fire of hell — the other, 
a pledge of everlafting repofe. 

" The man pofTefTd among the tombs, 
Cuts his own flefh and cries ; 
He foams and raves, till Jems comes, 
And the foul fpirit fiies." 

<( Beloved felf muft be denied — 
The mind and will renewed ; 
Paflion opprefPd and patience tried, 
And vain defires fubdued." 



" Lord, how fecure and blefr. are they, 
Who feel the joys of pardoned fin ! 
Should (forms of wrath make earth and fea, 
Their minds have heaven and peace within. 

" How oft they look to heavenly hills, 

Where ftreams of living pleafure flow ; 
And longing hopes and cheerful fhiiles 
Sit undifturbed upon their brow ! " 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES 



29I 




f Fight the good fight."— 1 Tim. vi. 12. " Taking the ftield of 
Faith, and the fword of the Spirit.' 1 — Eph. vi. 16, 17. 



THE CONQUERING CHRISTIAN. 
A glorious Temple rifes to our view, 
The conquering Chriftian fights his paflage through, 
His dreadful foes who now attack him fore, 
Falfe Shame behind, fell Unbelief before, 

u 2 



2Q2 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



And worldly Love — great idol here below, 

Unite to aid in Chriftian's overthrow ; 

But he, courageous, takes at once the field, 

Armed with his ancient, well-appointed mield ; 

A two-edged fword he wields, well known to fame, 

And proftrates at one blow the daftard Shame ; 

On Worldly Love he falls with many a blow, 

And foon he lays the ufurping monfter low. 

Now Unbelief, the champion of the reft, 

Enraged, beftirs him, and lays on his beft j 

A fearful thruft he makes at Chriftian's heart, 

The Shield of Faith receives the murd'rous dart 5 

With his good fword brave Chriftian wounds him fore, 

And out of combat he is feen no more j 

Into the Temple now the Vi6tor ipeeds, 

And Angel Minftrels chant his valiant deeds. 

The above reprefents a man fighting his way 
toward a beautiful Palace; it is his home. From 
various caufes he has been long eftranged from 
his paternal inheritance. He is by fome means 
reminded of its endearing affociations — of its 
ancient magnificence — of its voices of happinefs 
and love ; pleafant things to delight the eye ; 
choral fymphonies to enchant the ear ; rich 
viands to gratify the tafle, are there. He becomes 
anxious to return 5 he determines at once to 
regain poffemon of his manfion, or perim in the 
attempt. He meets with oppofition ; the odds 
are fearful, three to one. His enemies do not 
abfolutely deny his rights, yet they are determined 
to oppofe him to the uttermoft. He gives battle, 
and by dint of flail and courage, he routs his 
foes, gains a complete victory, and enters his 
home in triumph. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



-93 



This allegory reprefents a part of the ChrifHan 
warfare. The temple or palace fignifies that 
glorious inheritance which the Almighty Father 
has bequeathed to all his children. It contains 
all that can pleafe, delight, or enchant the foul, 
and that for ever more. For it is an inheritance 
that is incorruptible, undefiled, and which fadeth 
not away. The Hero denotes a man who has 
decided to be a Chriftian. By the influence of 
the Holy Spirit on his heart, he is convinced of 
his outcaft condition — of the impotency of created 
good to make him happy — of the infignificance 
of the things of time compared with thofe of 
eternity. Convinced of thefe, in the ftrength of 
grace, he fays, " I will arife and go to my Father," 
and he goes accordingly. But he foori meets 
with enemies who powerfully oppofe his progrefs, 
and among the firft of thefe is, 

Shame, Our paffions, or powers of feeling, 
have been given to us by our benevolent Creator, 
to fubferve our happinefs, and fname among the 
reft. 

" Art divine 
Thus made the body tutor to the foui — 
Heaven kindly gives our blood a moral now, 
And bids it aieend the glowing cheek." 

Shame {rands as a fentinel to warn us of danger, 
and fo put us on our guard. But all of our 
paffions are perverted from their proper ufes, and 
fin has done it. Therefore as man loves darknefs 
rather than light — calls evil good and good evil — 
puts bitter for fweet and fv/eet for bitter — fo alfo 



294 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

he changes the proper ufes of fhame. Inftead 
of being aftiamed of the bad, he is afhamed of 
the good. Shame is an enemy hard to conquer. 
The convert finds it fo. He feels afhamed at 
fir ft to be feen by his old companions, in com- 
pany with the truly pious ; or going to a religious 
meeting — or on his knees praying — or in any 
way carrying the Crofs of Him whom he has now 
chofen to be his Matter. Shame confronts him 
every where, and gives him to underftand that 
for the moft part, religious people are a poor, low, 
and ignorant fet ; that no perfon of character will 
affociate with them, &c. The Chriftian remem- 
bers that what is highly efteemed among men is 
had in abomination with God ; that fhame after 
all, is the promotion of fools only. Thus he 
vanquifheth fhame by the fword of the Spirit, even 
by the word of the Lord. 

As foon as fhame is difpofed of, another foe 
appears — Love of the world. This confifts in a 
greater attachment to this prefent world, than 
becomes one who is fo foon to leave it and live 
for ever in another. As the boy mould learn 
what he may need when he mall become a man, 
fo mould the mortal acquire what it may need 
when it puts on immortality. The natural man 
is i'o ftrongly wedded to earthly objects, that to 
him the feparation is impoffible. Argument will 
not effect it. He may he convinced intellectually, 
that the things of earth are tranfitory and un- 
fatiffying, yet he purfues them eagerly. His 
feelings may be lacerated by the death of fome 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 



beloved relative, and his hopes blafted by the 
lols of property, ft ill he cleaves to earth. The 
power of the Almighty alone can help him. 
He needs a new principle of feeling and of 
action ; even that of faith that overcomes the 
world. Obtaining this principle, he looks not at 
the things that are feen, but at thofe which are 
unfeen. 

The genuine Chriftian convert has many con- 
flicts ere he can fet his affections on the things 
above. Worldly Love oppofes him perfeveringly ; 
in his religious experience \ in his felf-denying 
duties ; in his givings, and in his fufferings. 
The Chriftian, however, knows that he muft 
conquer that foe, or periih — therefore he fets 
himfelf to meditate upon his duty — he fearches 
the Scriptures — he finds that God's enemies are 
thofe who mind earthly things, he wifties not to 
join them — that the love of the world is hatred 
to God — if any man love the world, the love of 
the Father is not in him ; and animated by the 
example of Chrift his Lord, who left heaven for 
man, he renounces earth for God. He dies to 
the world and lives to Chrift. As a foldier of 
Jefus he fights under his banners, and comes off 
more than a conqueror through Him who has 
loved him. 

Unbelief is a gigantic foe. He is indeed the 
champion of all the reft, peculiarly fkilful and 
bold in his attacks. He knows how to fhift his 
ground adroitly. Sometimes he affails vehe- 
mently, denying Chriftianity itfelf \ nay, the very 



296 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



exiftence of the Almighty, declaring that " God 
is nature, and that there is no other god/' and 
that "death is an eternal fleep." Thus by one 
ftroke he would fweep away the being and 
attributes of the Eternal ; the do£trines, promifes, 
and commandments of the word of God, man's 
refponfibilities, and confequent duties. Were 
this ftroke fuccefTful, it would deprive man of 
all happinefs in this life, and of the confolations 
of hope in the life that is after death. It expels 
him a fecond time from paradife into a defert 
where not even thorns and briars fpring up for 
his fupport. 

Unbelief, however, does not always act fo 
boldly. Sometimes he admits the exiftence of 
God, and the fubjecT: of religion in general, but 
denies that man owes duties to the former, or 
that he is interefted in the latter. He will even 
approve of the form of religion, provided there is 
no power, no faith, no Holy Spirit in it. Un- 
belief in this form deftroys thoufands of immortal 
fouls who profefs Chrift, yet, not having true 
faith, in works deny him. He that believeth 
not mail be damned. 

Sometimes unbelief attacks the Chriftian under 
the garb of benevolence. He pities and deplores 
moft feelingly, the prefent evils that flefti is heir 
to. He promifes you a terreftrial heaven. But, 
firft, the prefent order of things muft be 
aboliftied. All inftitutions, political and religious, 
muft be abrogated. The foundations of fociety 
muft be broken up — -its frame-work difTolved— 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



297 



that is to fay, a perfect chaos muft be made, out 
of which mall arife a perfect paradife. You 
muft firft pafs through a vaft howling wildernefs 
where no water is, and then (if indeed your 
carcafs does not fall in the wildernefs) you will 
be conducted into the promifed land. 

In thefe ways does unbelief make his onfets, 
fuiting his methods to the difpofitions of the age, 
or to the circumftances of individuals. The 
Chriftian repels them v/ith the mield of faith, 
and the fword of the fpirit, which is the word of 
God. He poffefTes the divine word which is 
full of promifes, and that faith which is a deep 
conviction of things not feen, and the fubftance 
or foundation of things hoped for. Therefore 
he gives no quarter to unbelief ; God hath 
fpoken, it is enough. There is a manfion for 
him ; he will poffefs it. His Saviour has con- 
quered and reigns. He will conquer and reign 
alfo. He beholds by faith, a glorious manfion, a 
palm of victory, a fong of triumph, a crown of 
life. Animated by the profpect, he fights his 
way through all his foes, and as he fights he 
fings — 

" The glorious crown of Righteoufnefs, 
To me reached out, I view, 
Conqueror through Chrift, I foon (hall rife, 
And wear it as my due." 



2K 

298 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




"Who gave himfelf a ranfom for all. 7 ' — 1 Tim. ii. 6. 



THE IMPERIAL PHILANTHROPIST. 

The haplefs crew upon the reef are call: ; 

And round them rages wild the furious blaft 5 

Deep calls to deep with wide-mouthed thundering roai, - 

Loud beat the billows on the rock-bound more ; 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 299 

Crafh after cram is heard with fearful mock, 

As the boat dafhes on the craggy rock. 

The affrighted crew nor fkill nor courage have, 

To lave their bark from the devouring wave ; 

RumVs great Czar beholds them on the reef. 

And nobly hafrens to afford relief :. 

Boldly he plunges in the boiling waves, 

And all the fury of the temper! braves j 

He leaps on board, and with a lkilful hand, 

Through rocks and breakers, brings them fafe to land. 

We have here a picture of danger and of deli- 
verance. Peter the Great, Emperor of all the 
Ruffias, had been failing in one of his yachts as 
far as the Ladoga Lake -> finding himfelf refreflied 
by the fea-breeze, inftead of landing at St. Peterf- 
burg, he failed down the Neva toward the open 
fea of the gulph of Finland. The day had been 
very fine ; toward evening, however, the weather 
fuddenly changed \ the emperor refolved to land, 
but he had fcarcely reached the fhore, when the 
ftorm burft forth in all its fury. The waves 
rofe and beat againft the craggy rocks of the 
coaft, and the wind roared from the wild Iky with 
a thundering voice ; in a few minutes a black 
cloud, let down like a curtain, hid the fcene from 
view. Still, however, the emperor looked and 
liftened ; he thought he heard the voice of diftrefs 
mingling with the yell of the ftorm ; his pene- 
trating glance foon difcovered a boat ftruggling 
againif. the polling forge, that was driving it 
towards the furious breakers. The men, moft 
of them being foldiers, are evidently at a lofs w T hat 
to do ; prefently the boat is dallied upon a reef ; 



300 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



the fea breaks over it mountains high. The 
emperor immediately fends a veflel to their aid, 
but in vain ; the men on board want both fkill 
and courage to execute the dangerous tafk. The 
poor men on the reef, feeing themfelves deferted 
by their companions, rend the air with their 
piteous cries for help ; the emperor can contain 
himfelf no longer, — he fprings into his own boat, 
calling on all who have hearts to dare for their 
brethren, to follow him. By great exertions he 
reaches as near to the fufferers as the breakers 
will allow — he perceives that he is yet too far off 
to aid them — what they need is a fkilful pilot — 
he plunges into the raging billows, bravely he 
buffets the mountain furge, now floating on the 
top mo ft wave, now finking in the depths be- 
neath ; foon he gains the boat, — he fprings on 
board like a delivering angel. The men, re- 
fouled at fight of the emperor rifking his life to 
fave them, renew their efforts — they loon get off' 
the fhoal into deep water, and the emperor guides 
them ikilfully through the rocks and ftioals, and 
brings them fafe to land. 

Now he is overwhelmed with the grateful 
demonstrations of thofe whom he has faved from 
the jaws of deftrudtion, and of thofe happy wives 
and children, who but for him would now have 
been orphans and widows ; he enjoys the luxury 
of doing good — he feels mo ft truly that " it is 
more blefled to give than to receive/' 

" The quality of mercy is not ftrained ; 
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Upon the place beneath. It is twice blefled $ 
It bleffeth him who gives, and him who takes, 
"T is mightieft in the mightieft ; it becomes 
The throned monarch better than his crown. 11 

We admire, and very juftly too, the furprifing 
condefcenfion, the tender compaflion, the heroic 
courage, and the confummate fkill of the Empe- 
ror of all the Rufllas, in rifking his life for the 
fake of a few poor men — but what is this com- 
pared with the grace of our Lord and Saviour 
" Jefus ?" The emperor loft nothing of his 
dignity in doing what he did ; he laid afide none 
of his titles ; he aflumed not a lower rank ; in 
the boat, among the waves, and on the fhoal, he 
was ftill an emperor. But Jefus laid his glorv 
by ; the glory that he had with the Father before 
the world was ; the glory refulting from creative 
pov/er ; the glory of guiding the armies of earth 
and heaven ; the glory of eternity. u He 
emptied himfelf," " he made himfelf of no repu- 
tation." The mafter becomes a flave ; the king 
becomes a fubjecT: ; the maker of worlds becomes 
a creature ; the God becomes a worm ! How 
furprifing this condefcenfion ; how wonderful this 
humility : 

" Bound every heart and every bofom burn. 11 

And O, with w T hat tender compaflion Jefus pitied 
us as he faw us expofed to the gulph of eternal 
death ! In the depths of our mifery he exclaimed, 
" Behold ! I come," and immediately haftened 
to our relief. O how he weeps, groans, prays, 



302 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



and dies for us, and for our falvation ! He pities 
our ignorance — he groans for our unbelief — he 
weeps for the hardnefs of our heart — he dies for 
our guilt. 

What heroic courage He difplays in working 
out our deliverance ! How he grapples with the 
powers of darknefs ! How he triumphs over 
temptation, poverty, and ftiame ! How he con- 
quers principalities and thrones, making a mow of 
them openly ! He wrefts from death his dreadful 
firing, proves victorious over the grave, and opens 
the gates of Paradife to all believers. What 
divine wifdom, alfo, He manifefts in the work of 
redemption, in fecuring to man his liberty, and to 
God his glory. How fkilfully the Saviour con- 
futes all the fophiftry of the devil ; ho.v wonder- 
fully he anfwers all the cavils of his adverfiries ! 
How, by his queftions, does he take the wife in 
their own craftinefs ! His laws fill with admira- 
tion the hearts of his worfhippers. How fkilfully 
he guides his followers through the rocks and 
fhoals of temptation and fin, and lands them 
fafely on the banks of deliverance. u Verily, he 
hath done all things well." Hallelujah. 

But for whom did the Saviour labour and 
fuffer ? Peter rifked his life for mortals like him- 
felf ; Jefus gave his for beings infinitely beneath 
him. Peter for his own foldiers, Jefus for thofe 
who were arrayed under the banner of his great 
foe; Peter for his own fubje&s, Jefus for the 
fubjecls of another kingdom ; Peter refcued 
merely his friends, Jefus died for the falvation of 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



3°3 



his enemies. Herein is love, " God commendeth 
His love toward us in that while we were yet 
finners," confequently enemies, u Chrift died for 
us." 

In the cafe before us — one rather of contrail 
than comparifon — we fee the men, re-fpirited by 
the prefence of their emperor come to fave them, 
labour with all their might; had they not done fo, 
they could not have been faved, notwithftanding 
all the fkill, power, and good will of their Prince. 
But we, alas, ftupid and ignorant as we are, 
when our Deliverer comes to our aid, are found 
queftioning his fkill, denying his power, and dif- 
beiieving his kind intentions ; inftead of " work- 
ing x out our own falvation " with fear and 
trembling, while he works in us, helping us both 
to will and to do of his good pleafure. 

Thofe who were faved from death by the 
philanthropic emperor, fhowered upon him every 
demonftration of gratitude ; they invoked eternal 
bleffings on his head, and devoted their lives to 
his fervice ; and mail not we be grateful to our 
fpiritual Deliverer ? His name ought to be to us 
above every name. His name Salvation is ; to 
the man that believes, Chrift is precious — he 
meditates upon his wondrous love, upon his 
unparalleled condefcenfion, upon his heroic 
courage, upon his tender compaffion, and upon 
his divine wifdom, until the fire of grateful emo- 
tion burns within him, and he prefents himfelf a 
living facrifice, holy and acceptable before the 
Lord, faying: 



3°4 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



" Were the whole realm of nature mine, 
That were an offering far too imall j 
Love fo amazing ! fo divine ! 
Demands my life, my foul, my all.'*'' 

And he devotes himfelf accordingly to the fervice 
of his king and Saviour. As a good fubje£t, he 
will obey His laws, and feek to promote the 
peace and profperity of His kingdom ; as a good 
foldier, he will follow his Captain through every 
danger and every death, and, having gained the 
victory, he will ground his arms at Jefus' feet, 
and fo be ever with the Lord. 



The following is a noble inftance of genuine philan- 
thropy, where a perfon rilked and actually loft his life for 
the lalvation of others : — A Dutch Eaft Indiaman was 
wrecked in a terrible tempeft off the Cape of Good Hope ; 
the failors were every inftant perifhing for want of aflift- 
ance. An old man named Woitemad, by birth a 
European, and who was at this time a relident of an 
ifland off the coaft, heard the lamentations of the diftreffed 
crew and haftened to their relief. The noble Dutchman 
borrowed a horfe and proceeded to the wreck, with a view 
of faving at leaft fome of their number ; he returned fafe 
with two of the unfortunate mfferers, and repeated this 
dangerous trip fix times, each time bringing with him two 
men, and thus laved in all fourteen perfons. The horfe 
was by this time fo much exhaufted, that the man did not 
think it prudent to venture out again $ but the entreaties 
of the poor mfferers increafmg, he ventured one trip more, 
which proved fo unfortunate that he loft his own life ; for 
on this occafion too many ruined upon him at once, fome 
catching hold of the horfe's tail, and others of the bridle, 
by which means the horfe, wearied out, and too heavily 
laden, was overwhelmed by the billows, and all drowned 
together. The Eaft India Company, impreffed with fo 
noble an inftance of .philanthropy, ordered a monument to 
be erecled to his memory. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



:°5 




"Therefore let us not fleep, as do others ; but iet us watch and 
be fober." — i Thes. v. 6. 

THE WINTRY ATMOSPHERE. 
The icy mountains here lift up on high 
Their barren peaks, toward the arclic iky j 
Terrific regions, where grim Winter reigns, 
And binds the whirlwind in his frofty chains. 
X 



306 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

Ail life has fled, fave where the fhaggy beaft 

Prowls with intent on human blood to feaft ; 

'T is nature's tomb ; no living voice is heard, 

Of murmuring brook, nor cheerful warbling bird ; 

No leafy tree, nor fmiling fields of green, 

Nor corn luxuriant waving, here is feen. 

In this cold clime fome mariners are found, — 

Two, froze to death, lie ftretched upon the ground $ 

Others, more wife, to keep themfelves awake, 

They leap and fhout, and ftrive their friends to wake. 

One plies the rod — yet from all anger free — 

To roufe his neighbour from his lethargy ; 

Death of his prey, while thus engaged, he cheats, 

And finds himfelf revive the more he beats. 

Thefe work and live, although the confli&'s fore ; 

The reft, they number and awake no more. 

Here we have a picture of the Polar regions ; 
the accumulating maffes of ice raife to the iky 
their fnowy fummits. The formation, perhaps, 
of future icebergs. Here Winter fits fecurely 
upon his throne of defolation. Unmolefted by 
the Solar King, he fways his icy fceptre. The 
very winds are huftied to filence by his power ; a 
defolate and terrible region. It is the fheeted 
fepulchre of Nature deceafed. No figns of life 
are feen, except the Polar beaft, fitted for his 
dreary abode. No found of rippling brook, nor 
voice of joyous bird echoes through the icy cliffs. 
To blefs the eye, no leafy forefts wave to the 
breeze, no cheerful fields of living green ap- 
pear. To blefs the heart, no rifing corn, the 
all-fuftaining food of man, bends with its weight 
of wealth. In this inhofpitable climate, man, if 
he poflfefs not a ftout heart, foon dies. A drow- 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



3°7 



finefs fteals over him. He feels a very great 
inclination to lie down, then cold chills, through- 
out his life's blood, flowly creep. He finks into 
a lethargy from which he never more awakes. 

In the picture are feen a few mariners who are 
thrown into this unfriendly climate. Two of 
them, in confequence of giving way to their 
drowfy feelings, have fallen afleep. It is the 
flumber of the grave. The others, aware of the 
deadly influence of intenfe cold, exert themfelves 
to keep it off. They leap about and cry aloud. 
They are alarmed for their companions. They 
ftrive to aroufe them from their dangerous ileep. 
One perceiving his friend to have fome figns of 
life in him, procures a rod ; he lays it on un- 
fparingly ; he finds himfelf benefited by the ex- 
ercife ; he continues it ; he is fucceflful ; he faves 
the life of his friend ; they continue actively 
employed until deliverance appears. Thus, then, 
lives are preferved. The reft, caft into the deep 
fieep of death, are left to the beaffs of prey. 

The wintry atmofphere reprefents that fpiritual 
declenfion that too frequently happens. Piety is 
in danger of freezing to death. The church has 
gone too far north. The thermometer of holi- 
nefs has funk almoft to zero. The Sun of Right- 
eoufnefs cafts but a few feeble flickering rays 
athwart the gloom profound. Fearful ftate in- 
deed ! The ftillnefs of fpiritual death prevails. 
The fliaggy one alone is alive and active. " He 
goeth about as a roaring lion feeking whom he 
may devour." The voice of prayer is hufhed. 

X 2 



3 o8 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



No joyful hallelujahs break the monotony of the 
awful folitude. Doctrine and difcipline are ne- 
glected. Even the all-fuftaining word of God is 
forfaken. Melancholy pofition ! She will foon be- 
come a mere iceberg, darning herfelf and others 
into oblivion, It has fometimes occurred, that 
by the faithful prayers and active labours of one 
faint, the church has been brought out of the 
wintry atmofphere, and been faved. This one 
living difciple brings the whole church to Jefus, 
the Sun of Righteoufnefs, and keeps her there by 
faith, until the whole tide of His rays fall full 
upon her. Her frozen heart now begins to 
thaw ; foon it melts into penitence and love ; 
now the voice of prayer breaks forth as the 
morning ; the fong of praife again mounts up- 
wards ; God's houfe is filled with worfhippers ; 
minifters are clothed with falvation ; converts 
are multiplied, and the fons of God fliout aloud 
for joy. 

The wintry atmofphere may furthermore denote 
the condition of individual Chriftians when 
thrown into the fociety of the wicked, when 
compelled in the order of Providence to dwell in 
the u tents of Kedar." In the abfence of the 
genial influences of religious ordinances, the 
freezing influences of ungodly principles and 
practices prevail. Infidelity itfelf may perhaps 
lift up its daring front, and defy the God of the 
armies of Ifrael ; deny the infpiration of the 
facred page, and laugh the Chriftian to fcorn as 
a weak enthufiaft. If unwatchful, the profeffor 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



309 



will at firft fall a prey to the ftupor of indifference. 
Then the chilling influence of fin will creep over 
him , the life's blood of his piety is arrefted in 
its courfe , heart and intellect are benumbed ; 
Faith, Hope 5 and Love are now but indiftin£t 
images of the paft. He is in danger of fpiritual 
death. 

As in the engraving, we fee one aroufmg his 
companions with a rod or flick, fo the Chriftian 
mould endeavour to awaken his brother when he 
fees him falling beneath the influence of a wicked 
atmofphere. He may poffefs more Chriftian 
experience, or more fpiritual underftanding ; he 
has a ffronger faith, or is better acquainted with 
the wiles of the devil ; thefe are fo many gifts or 
graces, that he is in duty bound to exert for the 
falvation of his brother ; hence he is to exhort 
and admonifh him with all long-fuffering and 
faithfulnefs, If this fails, he is to reprove, nay, 
to u rebuke him fharply," and in no wife to fufler 
fin upon his brother. Though it may feem 
harm, yet he is to perfevere as long as any figns 
of life remain, left he perifh for whom Chriit 
died; he will tell him of the danger to which he 
expofes his immortal foul, of the reproach he will 
bring upon religion if he falls into fin, of the 
wounds he will again inflict upon the facred heart 
of Jefus ; that he will cover heaven with fack- 
cloth, and make hell echo with exultations of 
fiendilh delight — he will not fpare, in order to 
aroufe him from his (lumber. With the hammer 
of God's word he will ftrike him, with the fword 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



of God's Spirit he will pierce him, and with the 
fuel of God's love he will enkindle a fire round 
about him. He is fuccehTul — foon the deeper 
moves — he melts — he weeps — he prays ; in his 
gratitude he exclaims, " Let the righteous fmite 
me, it is an excellent oil unto me," faithful are 
the wounds of a friend ! Thus the active 
Chriftian, by his perfeverance, under God, faves 
a foul from death and hides a multitude of fins. 

Moft beneficial, alfo, has the exercife been to 
himfelf ; it has proved the means of his own 
fafety ; by it he has been kept watchful and 
prayerful ; his gifts and graces have been 
ftrengthened ; the more he laboured for his 
brother, the more he was blefifed in his own foul. 
So true is the promife, " He that watereth others 
fhall be watered himfelf." 

The wintry atmofphere is fuch a dangerous 
region that the Almighty himfelf becomes, as it 
were, alarmed for the fafety of his children, 
when he fees them expofed to its influence ; he 
ufes the rod of correction in order to keep them 
awake — he ufes it in love — "whom he loveth he 
chafteneth." Woe ! woe ! unto us, when He 
commands the minifters of afBi6r.ion to u let us 
alone." Poverty, reproach, ficknefs, and death, 
are employed by our heavenly Father as inftru- 
ments of correclion — yet they are blefiings in 
difguife. He gives us poverty in time, that we 
may be inverted with the riches of eternity : — 
reproach, that we may receive the plaudits of the 
King eternal : — ficknefs of body, that the foul 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 3II 

may flourifli in immortal health :—Death^ to 
umer us into life, into his immediate prefence, 
that where He is there we may be alfo. God's 
children have borne witnefs in time, and they 
will bear witnefs to all eternity, that " it was 
good for them to have been affii&ed." 

" Long unafnicted, undifmayed, 
In pleafure's path fecure I ftrayed 5 
Thou mad'ft me feel the chaftening rod, 
And ftraight I turned unto my God, 
What though it pierced my fainting heart, 
I bleffed the hand that caufed the fmart j 
It taught my tears awhile to flow, 
But faved me from eternal woe. 11 



" In fable cincture, fhadows vaft, 
Deep-tinged and damp, and congregated clouds, 
And all the vapoury turbulence of heaven, 
Involve the face of things. Thus winter falls, 
A heavy gloom oppreffive o'er the world, 
Through nature fhedding influence malign. " 
" Ocean itfelf no longer can relift 
The binding fury j but, in all its rage 
Of temper!: taken by the boundlefs froft, 
Is many a fathom to the bottom chained, 
And bid to roar no more : — a bleak expanfe, 
Shagged o'er with wavy rocks, cheerlels and void 
Of every life, that from the dreary months 
Flies confcious fouthward. Miferable they ! 
Who, here entangled in the gathering ice, 
Take their laft look of the defcending fun 5 
While, full of death, and fierce with tenfold froft, 
The long, long night, incumbent o'er their heads, 
Falls horrible.' 1 Thompson. 



312 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 



# 




" For I, faith the Lord, will be .... a wall of fire round about." 
Zec. ii. 5. 

THE PROTECTED TRAVELLER. 

'Tis night, — the Traveller with labour fpent, 
Beneath the foreft's fhade has pitched his tent 5 
He and his houfehold foon are fail alleep, 
Their toiifome journey makes their (lumbers deep j 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 313 

Above their heads the ftars are glowing bright, 
Like diamonds fparkling on the breaft of night $ 
This is the fignal for the favage heart 
To roam the foreft for his bloody feaft ; 
Leopards and lions round the tent now prowl, 
And wake the woodland with their fearful howl $ 
The Traveller, ftartled at the dreadful found, 
A blazing fire foon kindles all around j 
The monfters fee it, and with horrid roar, 
Rufh through the thicket and appear no more. 

As when Elifna, 'mid the Syrian band, 
Saw fword and ipear arrayed on every hand, 
In gracious anfvver to the prophet's prayer, 
Angelic banners flamed upon the air j 
Jehovah's armies round about him came 
With burning chariots and fteeds of flame $ 
The fiery feraphs circled al] his path, 
And kept him fafely from the Syrian's wrath. 

In thefe days of emigration, multitudes are 
continually leaving the homes of their fathers for 
diftant climes. The populous cities of the old 
world are traverfed ; the broad blue ocean is 
traverfed ; the vaft forefts of the new world are 
traverfed, in order to find a home of peace and 
plenty. The engraving fhows a family tended 
and guarded for the night. The travellers, weary 
with the day's journey, feek a commodious place 
whereon to pitch their tent. The fun already 
begins to fink below the horizon ; the fhadows 
lengthen, and night, filent and majeftic, affumes 
her empire over the earth. Stars of glittering 
beauty befpangle her bofom and reflect their 
brilliancy on the broad leaves of the foreft. The 
travellers retire to reft ; wooed by fatigue, 



314 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

"balmy fleep" foon lights upon their eyelids; 
their (lumbers are deep ; but they are foon to be 
difturbed : night gives the fignal for the beafts of 
prey to come forth from their dens ; hungry and 
thirfty for blood they come ; roaming, ravening, 
and roaring they come ; the woods echo their 
fearful howlings ; they fcent out the travellers ; 
they furround the tent ; they clamour loudly for 
its inmates ; dreadful is the confufion ; the beafts 
growl and fight with each other, that each might 
have the prey to himfelf — the travellers awake in 
trembling diftrefs. One of them has heard of 
the effect of fire upon wild beafts ; while they 
are quarrelling, he quickly lights his brand, puts 
it to fome dry leaves, and kindles a blaze ; to 
this he adds more fuel, nor ceafes heaping it on 
till he has encircled the tent with flames. His 
efforts, are fucceffful ; the wild beafts are now 
affrighted, and roaring dreadfully with fear and 
rage, they rufti impetuoufly through the trees, 
and come near the tent no more. 

The prefervation of the traveller from the fury 
of the wild beafts by means of fire, reprefents the 
prefervation of the Chriftian from the attacks of 
Satan and his helpers, by the Almighty. Among 
the Jews, and many other ancient nations, fire 
was regarded as emblematical of the Deity, and 
indeed not without reafon, for on feveral well 
authenticated inftances did the Almighty mani- 
feft himfelf under the appearance of fire. Mofes 
was fummoned before a court of fire to receive 
his commiffion as deliverer of Ifraeh God was 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES* 



3 J 5 



in the fire. In their flight from Egypt, and after 
travels in the defert, the Ifraelites were guided 
by a column of fire ; it was their falvation and the 
Egyptians' overthrow, for Jehovah was there. 
In his reception of the facrifices and prayers of his 
people, God anfwered by fire. When He gave 
his law upon the terrible Mount, he fpake out of 
the midft of the fire. And when long after he 
would re-publifh his law to all nations, the com- 
miflion of the Apoftles as the deliverers of the 
world was crowned with fire, God was with 
them, and to be with them to the end of the 
world. 

The Chriftian is a traveller ; he is travelling 
through the wildernefs of this world ; he will 
pafs through it only once ; in whatever part of 
the wildernefs he pitches his tent, he is fafe from 
all the open attacks of his foes; his faith, love, and 
obedience fecure to him the protection of the 
Almighty. He is holy in heart and life ; holinefs 
tends to God's glory, and upon " the glory there 
is a defence ; " this is the glory that dwells in the 
midfl of him, and where this is there will be 
alfo " the wall of fire round about." The 
celeftial fire burning between the Cherubim in 
the Jewifli temple but fhadowed forth him in 
whofe heart Chrift dwells by faith, — the living 
" temple of the Holy Spirit." 

Since his expulfion from the realms of light, 
the Devil has hated with perfect hatred every 
fymbol of Jehovah's preience and glory; he hates 
the light — he is the prince of darknefs — he is the 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



great extinguifher, putting out the light of truth 
and holinefs as often as he can effect it; he 
thought to extinguifh the " Light of the World/' 
by nailing it to a tree, but in fo doing he only 
broke into pieces the vafe that contained it, 
caufing it to Ihine forth with brilliancy, and to fill 
the whole earth with glory. 

The great adverfary is fpoken of as cc going 
about " the world as a roaring lion u feeking 
whom he may devour once, when prowling 
about on this wife, he met with one of the faints 
of God, whom he defired to worry and devour, 
but, behold ! there was a hedge of burning 
bullies all around him. In vain he tried to get 
at him ; though ufed to fire, he could not ftand 
the fire of love and holinefs — he knew very well, 
too, that no one could put out this fire, demolifh 
this burner, except the man himfelf. Satan is 
permitted to tempt ; he lays his plots with hellifli 
ingenuity ; he executes them with cruelty worthy 
of a devil ; to deftroy this man of God, he called 
into his fervice the peftilence, the fword, the 
tornado, and the lightning. The lightning came 
and did its work — the fword came and did its 
work — the peftilence came and did its work — the 
tornado came and did its work, — yet the man of 
God is fafe ; he lives in his integrity ; the hedge 
of fire around him burns higher and brighter, and 
becomes a beacon of hope to all the children of 
men. The devil, difcomfited, leaves him, and 
flees away to his own place, becaufe u Job finned 
not, nor charged God foolilhly." 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 317 

In like manner, every child of God is fur- 
rounded by a divine protection ; the fervants of 
Satan are juft like their matter, they hate the 
light, and him that brings it ; but were they to 
befet him as the AfTyrian army befet the prophet 
Eliftia, he would be fafe. The chariots of fire, 
and the horfes of fire, with Seraphim and Cheru- 
bim, would en com pals him. He may lay him 
down in peace- — a wall of fire protects him, high as 
heaven, deeper than hell, wide as eternity — fire! 
lire ! fire ! formlefs, impetuous, myfterious, and 
devouring fire, is his fafeguard and truft. 

As the traveller, by building a fire, protects 
not himfelf only, but all who are in the tent, fo 
the Chriftian, by his faith, love, and obedience, 
fecures the protection and blefiing of God upon 
all his household. " I will mow mercy," faith 
the Holy One of Ifrael, w unto thoufands of 
generations of thofe that love me and keep my 
commandments ; " and one who had lived long 
in the world, and had feen much of it, declared, 
" I have never feen the righteous forfaken, nor 
his pofterity begging bread." 

The traveller may put out his fire without 
water — he can do it by omitting to fupply it with 
fuel, or by cafting earth upon it, thereby fmother- 
ing it, and thus expofe himfelf and others with 
him to all the dangers of the foreft. So the 
Chriftian may extinguish, the fire of Almighty 
protection, the light of the Holy Spirit ; he may 
do fo, too, without employing the waters of 
tranfgreffion — he may do it by withholding the 



3*8 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



proper fuel, by c< leaving off to do good/' by 
neglecting the means of grace. He may do it by 
cafting earth upon it, by letting the world gain 
the afcendency in his heart and affections— the 
love of the world will put out the fire, " quench 
the Spirit," and leave the man again expofed to the 
malice of the evil one. 

In the Book of the Prophets we read of fome 
who cc kindle a fire " and walk in the light 
thereof, who yet " lie down in forrow ; " they are 
not fafe ; thefe may be the felf-righteous — the 
mere nominal profeffor, who builds a fire with the 
wood, hay, and ftubble of his own performances; 
it lacks the heat of love and holinefs — God is not 
in it. Satan heeds it not — he breaks through it 
as eafily as a lion through a cobweb, and feizes 
upon the defencelefs finner for a prey. 

Of others it is faid that they u encompafs 
themfelves about with fparks " merely ; this may 
mean thofe who efteem themfelves good enough 
already, good naturally — hence they have no need 
of performances of any kind. The man of this 
clafs neglects as ufelefs the light of truth, and 
faith, and the fire of love $ he can difpenfe with 
Bible, Prieft, and Temple ; he lies down in peril 
— the devil don't mind a few fparks. 

It was a cuftom among the ancient highlanders 
of Scotland, when they would aroufe the people 
for any great purpofe, to fend throughout the 
land a crofs dipped in blood ; wherever the crofs 
was received, there the people immediately 
kindled a blazing fire, hence it was called " the 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES' 



Fire Crofs." The blood-ftained Crofs of Chrift 
has been fent and is now going throughout the 
world ; the purpofe for which it is fent, the 
greateft of all achievements; wherever it is 
received, a fire is kindled amid the furrounding 
darknefs. The fire of a Saviour's love, the fire 
of Almighty power : 

" Jems' love the nations fires, 
Sets the kingdoms in a blaze. 11 

Haften ! O haften ! ye who bear the crofs, ye 
minifters of his that do his pleafure ! Carry 
round u the Crofs until a fire mail be kindled 
everywhere, and the whole earth be filled with 
the glory of God. 



320 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




" For ye are bought with a price." — i Cor. vi. 20. " Thofe that 
ieek me early ihall find me."— Prov. viii. 17. 



THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE. 
Behold, the Have with joyful beaming eyes, 
Holds up to view his glorious glittering prize 5 
A pearl, more precious than its weight in gold ; 
The price of Freedom, and of bliis untold : 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



321 



The prince who promifed the aufpicious meed, 
From his rich palace haftens down with fpeed • 
With his own hand, unrolled that all may fee, 
The title-deed prefents, of Liberty. 
The flave may enter now that manlion fair, 
A (lave no longer, but a rightful heir. 

So when the fmner by Apollyon bound, 
The pricelefs pearl of Gofpel grace has found ; 
He breaks his chains, and into Freedom fprings, 
No more a (lave, he ranks with priefts and kings j 
By the great Lord of All, to him 't is given, 
To be his chiJd on earth, and heir in heaven. 

A certain prince, defirous of adorning his 
coronet with a pearl of the greateft value, pro- 
mifes liberty to any one of his Haves who (hall 
find one of a certain number of carats ; the prince 
owns, upon his manor, a " Fifhery," where the 
flaves, at proper feafons of the year, dive for 
pearls. The ufual mode of operation is as fol- 
lows : The divers, throwing off their clothes, 
drefs themfelves in complete fuits of white cot 
ton ; this is to protect their bodies from the con- 
tact of the medufa?, or fea-nettles ; then, each 
diver, letting himfelf over the fide of the boat, 
places his feet upon a ftone, which is held by the 
feibor, or puller-up. On his left arm he carries 
a fmall bafket to hold the oyfters he may collect — 
the pearl is found in the flefhy part, near the joint 
of the {hell — then clofmg his noftrils with a piece of 
elaftic horn, he gives the fignal with his arm, and is 
immediately lowered down ; the ftone enables 
him to fink without difficulty. Here in a period 
varying from thirty to a hundred feconds, he 
employs himfelf in filling his bafket ; as foon as 

Y 



3 22 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



this is done, or if he wants breath, he jerks the 
rope, and is immediately hauled to the fur face. 

In the engraving is feen the fortunate Have, 
who has fecured the prize ; as foon as he difco- 
vers his good fortune, forfaking boat and bafket, 
he leaps overboard and makes toward the fhore, 
exclaiming, " I've found it ! Pve found it ! 99 
Others fhout with him ; the prince, his matter, 
hears the tumult, and learning the caufe, repairs 
without delay to the bank of the river, to receive 
the pearl, and to beftow on the finder the pro- 
mifed reward — where, in the prefence of all, he 
reads his deed of manumiffion, and proclaims him 
free. And he is free — his head, and heart, and 
hands are now his own ; he is now free from that 
power which degraded him to the exacT: level of 
a brute, and free from all its concomitant evils of 
ignorance, cruelty, and crime ; he is now a man, 
he bears his brow upward. Happy man ; Liberty, 
fair fitter of Piety, has ftooped upon the wing to 
blefs him ; nor is this all — he is free to call his 
former matter Abha, that is, father, and his mif- 
trefs Imrna^ that is, mother ; he is, according to 
cuftom, adopted as a fon — his future path is irra- 
diated with knowledge, wifdom, and happinefs. 

By the Have finding the coftly pearl, and 
obtaining thereby his liberty, is fignified the fin- 
ner, who finds cc the Kingdom of Heaven," or 
who, in other words, experiences religion ; this 
puts him into poffeffion of a liberty more precious 
than gold, and more to be defired than fine 
gold :— 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 323 

A liberty unfung 
By Poets, and by Senators unpraifed $ 
Which monarchs cannot grant, nor all the powers 
Of earth and hell confederate, take away : 
A liberty w T hich perfecution, fraud, 
Oppreflion, prifons, have no power to bind 5 
Which, whofo taftes, will be enflaved no more. 

This is the liberty of gofpel falvation; a finner 
is a Have — a flave not to one mafter, but to 
many, who exercife over him a cruel defpotifm. 
Satan takes the lead in tyrannizing over him ; it 
is true he is a willing flave, but not the lefs a 
flave for that, for let him but try to free himfelf 
from his power, and he at once feels that he is 
bound ; Satan is his lord and mafter, he fays to 
him, "Go, and he goeth; come, and he cometh; 
do this, and he doeth it." He is a captive, led 
about juft as the devil pleafes. Miferable bond- 
age ! Sin has dominion over him, forbidden 
objects control his paflions, and his paffions con- 
trol his will ; he is enflaved to the law of fin, he 
is chained to " this body of death." Sin wields 
over him its fceptre with defpotic fway, u he is 
fold under fin;" even when he would do good, 
evil is prefent with him. Again, he is a flave to 
the terrors of the law ; mount Sinai ftill ftands, 
giving forth its dreadful voice of many thunders, 
and emitting its flafties of devouring fire ; he 
ftands quaking and trembling beneath its fearful 
brow. He is alfo a fubject to bondage through 
fear of death ; " although he may make a mow of 
courage, when among his guilty companions, 
over the bottle, or in the battle-field, yet he 

Y 2 



324 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

dreads his approach ; his very image embitters his 
fweeteft pleafure, and makes him miferable. 
Thefe are fome of the lords that exercife domi- 
nion over the poor finner ; verily he is bound ! 

The King of Holinefs offers liberty to the 
finner, on condition that he exercife " repentance 
toward God, and faith in Jefus Chrift ; " thus 
runs the proclamation. The flave who found 
the pearl was obedient ; what did he know at 
firft about pearls ? he might have argued, with 
himfelf at leaft, that it was impoffible that fuch 
uncouth, muddy oyfters, could contain fuch price- 
lefs gems, and fo have given up the idea, and 
with it freedom ; but he fought in the manner 
prefcribed, and found — thus his obedience fecured 
an ample reward. 

Salvation is found only by thofe who feek 
aright. That the finner might not lofe his 
labour, the Almighty Lord tells him where it 
may be found ; he tells him to look for it in His 
word, in his houfe and ordinances ; he tells him 
how he is to conduct the fearch — he is to lay 
afide his felf-righteoufnefs and put on fackcloth ; 
he is to defcend into the depths of humility, and 
there, by earneft, perfevering prayer, and living 
faith, to feek until he finds — and the promife is, 
" If thou feekeft her as filver, and fearcheft for 
her as for hid treafure, then {halt thou underftand 
the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of 
God." 

But who mall defcribe the glorious liberty of 
the children of God. Satan reigns and tyran- 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 325 

nizes over them no longer ; his chain is broken, 
his allegiance is renounced ; he is no longer the 
proud conqueror, leading his captive in chains ; 
he lies bruifed beneath the Chriftian's feet — he 
may threaten, but he cannot harm ; he may 
tempt, but he cannot compel. 

He who finds gofpel freedom is delivered from 
the dominion of fin ; his underftanding is now 
enlightened, the darknefs of ignorance has pafTed, 
the true light now mines ; his mind is now free — 
free to do good. He takes pleafure in righteouf- 
nefs. cc O," he exclaims, " how I love thy law !" 
Henceforth the teftimonies of Jehovah are the 
fongs of his rejoicing in the houfe of his pilgrim 
age ; in him the promife is fulfilled, " Sin fhall 
not have dominion over you." 

From the curfe of the law, moreover, he is free. 
Jefus has been made a curfe for him — there is, 
therefore, now no condemnation ; for him the 
fires of Sinai no longer burn ; Jefus has quenched 
them with his blood — for him its voice of many 
thunders is for ever hufhed — Jefus has whifpered, 
" Peace, be ftill." Death has now for him no 
more terrors — Death is a vanquifhed enemy, he 
is numbered among his gains. Why mould he 
fear who has beheld " the burft gates — the de- 
molifhed throne — the crufhed fting — the laft gafp 
of vanquifhed death ? " Thanks be unto God, 
who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jefus 
Chrift. 

O, the glorious liberty of the children of God i 
The flave has become a fon ; he may now call God 



326 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Abba, Father, and the church Imma, Mother ; 
he is now an heir of God and fellow-heir with 
Jefus Chrift — he receives a clear title-deed to 
manfions in the fkies. Heaven for him 

Opens wide 
Her ever-during gates, harmonious found 
On golden hinges turning. 

He is now free to fee the King in his beauty, to 
fee Him as he is who loved him and gave him- 
felf for him — to hold converfe with angels and 
archangels, with all the holy, and the wife. 
" Glorious liberty," indeed ! wondrous freedom ! 
he is free to explore the regions of immortality 
and love ; and as the years of interminable dura- 
tion roll onward, he will live yet more free. 

" All hail, triumphant Lord, 
Who fav'ft us with thy blood ! 
Wide be thy name ador'd, 
Thou rifmg, reigning God, 

With thee we rife, 

With thee we reign, 

And empires gain 

Beyond the ikies." 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES 327 




6 BlerTed are your eyes, for they fee." — Matt. xiii. 16. "And 
to know the love of Chrift which pafleth knowledge." — 
Eph. iii. 19. 

THE GREAT DISCOVERY. 



When brave Balboa gained the mountain's height, 
A glorious prolpe£t burft upon his right $ 



328 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



The great Pacific (fretched before him lies, 
And fills with new delight his ravifhed eyes $ 
Oh, fight fublime ! It meets the diftant Iky, 
The fplendid image of eternity. 
He gazes on that lea, his hope of old, 
Whofe waters wander by the realms of gold • 
Vifions of wealth and glory fill his mind, 
And he forgets the toils he left behind. 
The dream is realized ! that dream fublime, 
That bore him onward through each deadly clime^ 
O'er burning mountains and o'er dormy main, 
Through death and danger, far from ancient Spain, 
His burfting heart adores that mighty Power 
That brought him fafely to behold this hour 5 
He proftrate falls, his grateful homage pays, 
And to the God of heaven devoutly prays. 

Above is portrayed the great difcovery of the 
Pacific Ocean, made by Balboa, a Spanim Cava- 
lier. Balboa had for fome time fettled down in 
Hifpaniola. Here he cultivated a farm, but hear- 
ing of an expedition that was about to fet out for 
the weft, he determined to join it. He was 
greatly in debt, and the governor had iffued a pro- 
clamation forbidding debtors to leave the illand. 
Balboa, however, was refolved to go. He caufed 
himfelf to be rolled on board of one of the veffels 
in a cafk. He did not make his appearance until 
the (hip was far out to fea. The commander at 
firft threatens to fend him back — but the fhip 
purfued her way. He quickly rofe into favour ; 
became governor of the colony planted at the 
Ifthmus, and diftinguimed himfelf by the talents 
of command. Rumours of the golden country 
frill farther weftward continued to inflame the 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 329 

minds of the Spaniards. Diftance, difeafe, moun- 
tains covered with eternal mows, and oceans 
tofied by perpetual ftorms, could no longer re- 
ftrain them. Balboa took the lead of the expe- 
dition and pufhed on to conqueft. Many of the 
Indian tribes are to be conquered. Thefe brave 
but defencelefs warriors foon fall before the arms 
of the Spaniards, who, the more blood they fried, 
the more they thirft for gold. An alliance is 
formed with a powerful Cacique, who fends 
Balboa a rich prefent in gold and flaves. On 
the daring Spaniard leads his foldiers. Indian 
tribes are conquered, mountain difficulties are 
paffed, and burning, fickly regions traverfed. Now 
the moment is at hand when he is to be more 
than recompenfed for all his labours. The mifty 
fummits of the hills rife before him. One of thefe 
is pointed out to him as the object of his fearch. 
He commands his troops to halt. He himfelf 
afcends alone, with his drawn fword. Having 
reached the top, he cafts his eyes round ; the 
Pacific fpreads out before him ; imbued with the 
religion of his country, he falls on his knees 
weeping, and offers thanks to God for permitting 
him to fee this glorious fight. On his return to 
Darien, the whole population poured forth to 
meet him. They hailed him as the glory of 
Spain ; as the gift of heaven fent to guide them 
into the pofTeilion of honours and riches incal- 
culable. 

The Pacific Ocean, and its difcovery by the 
bold Spaniard, may ferve to illuftrate the ocean of 



33° 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



God's love, and the joyful feelings of him who, 
for the firft time, difcovers it. The finner is fet- 
tled down in his fins; he is employed in cultivating 
Satan's hufbandry ; " he is fowing to the flefh." 
He hears of a revival of religion, of an expedition 
heavenward ; he is determined to join it ; he is 
in debt ; dead in trefpafles and in fins. Satan, 
his governor, will not permit him to quit. He 
hedges up his way round about him. He is how- 
ever refolved to join the expedition that is bound 
for Heaven. By a violent effort he efcapes and 
joins the converts. He is decided ; he feeks 
earneftly the falvation of his foul ; his way is now 
befet with difficulties ; enemies appear on every 
hand to impede his progrefs ; his old companions 
come to entice him ; his old fins come to tempt 
him, and his old mafter ftrides before him the 
whole breadth of the way. 

He now ftrengthens his alliances with the 
children of God. He receives fame times fome 
gracious tokens of the divine favour ; he is encou- 
raged to perfevere ; on he goes, weeping — pray- 
ing — -wreftling — fighting. His old companions 
are filenced ; his fins no longer have dominion 
over him, and Satan falls like lightning from 
heaven. Now the time of triumph is near, when 
he will be more than paid for all he has endured. 
His heavenly guide directs him to the object of 
his inquiries. He afcends alone the mount — the 
facred mount of Calvary. He cafts his eyes 
around ; the peaceful ocean of Almighty love 
fpreads out before him ; there it lays, covering 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 



33 1 



all time and extending to eternity ; immenfe — 
boundlefs — overwhelming. 

When this Almighty fea of love 

His rifing foul furveys, 
Tranfported with the view, he's loft"' 

la wonder, love, and praife. 

AH is peaceful, above — below — within — 
around. He has peace with God through our 
Lord Jefus Chrift. A peace which paffeth all 
understanding fills his breaft. He is at peace 
with man and beaft. It is as the opening of the 
gate of heaven to his foul. An immenfe region 
of truth, divine truth, is laid bare to his view. 
A new and heavenly light flames over his mind. 
Old things have palled away, and all things have 
become new. 

On this mount of vifion he difcovers that God 
is Love ; not only lovely and loving, but Love ; 
nothing but love. In his nature and operations 
love ; pure, unexampled love. Here he beholds 
the Son of God ; the maker of earth ; the well- 
beloved of heaven, fuffering and dying for him — 
for all — for a world of finners. For the fouleft 
of the foul, He dies. He beholds with aftonifh- 
ment the tokens of his love. Earth is fuddenly 
arretted in her retrograde motion, and rolled back 
again to God. Strange darknefs covers the 
world, that all might henceforth be light for 
ever ; the opened fepulchres proclaim life and 
immortality. Here he beholds a new and living 
way caft up ; a high way from earth to heaven, 



33 2 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



and countlefs multitudes leaving behind them the 
badges of their guilt, pollution, and wretched- 
nefs, and warned and clothed in the robes of 
falvation, afcend thereupon. Forward they go, 
each one walking in his uprightnefs. A cloud 
overftiadows them for a little while, — that is » 
death. Soon they afcend toward the gates of the 
heavenly city. Now the golden portals are lifted 
up, and the children of glory enter in. A mul- 
titude that none can number are thus ranfomed 
from hell and the grave, and all through the love 
of God in Chrift Jefus. Behold what manner 
of love is this, that the Father has beftowed on 
us, that we mould be called the fons of God. 
Well might the rapt poet fing — 

I rode on the iky, 

Freely juftified I, 
Nor envied Elijah his feat ; 

My foul mounted higher, 

In a chariot of fire, 
And the moon it was under my feet. 

An indifferent fpectator walking far beneath 
Balboa, feeing him proftrate on the mount, and 
with uplifted hands offering his thankfgiving, 
might have laughed him to fcorn for a madman, 
or have pitied him for his weaknefs. He may 
not have been fo high. He knows not that the 
ocean exifts. He perhaps denies its exiftence 
altogether. Thus it often happens to the man 
of the world when he fees converts having rafted 
that the Lord is gracious, give vent to their feel- 
ings in a lively manner ; or when he hears 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



333 



experienced Chriftians difcourfe on the love of 
God, it is foolifhnefs to him. He confiders the 
perfons fo ailing, to be " befide themfelves," or 
very weak-minded. He may perhaps deny alto- 
gether the exiftence of vital godlinefs and religious 
experience • yet if the fceptic would but " come 
and fee" for himfelf, he would confefs that " the 
half was not told him." 

In order to make his great difcovery, Balboa 
had to rife above the world. So it behoves him 
who would difcover the great Pacific of eternal 
love, to rife above fublunary things ; efpecially 
muft he furmount the fogs of prejudice, the mifts 
of ignorance, and the clouds of unbelief which 
furround the furface of the earth. 

Having made his difcovery, the Spaniard was 
at once rewarded with honour and glory. He 
looked upon the paft with contempt, as not 
worthy to be compared with the fplendour that 
awaited him. So he feels who realizes that God 
is love. He is clad with the " Bejt Robe" He 
looks with difguft on the paft. He hates the 
vain pomps and glories of the earth ; is aftonifhed 
at his infatuation, in being fo taken up with 
them ; and yet what he now pofTefTes is but as 
the drop to the teeming mower. The wealth of 
eternity awaits him. 

Balboa could not explore his vaft prize. Had 
he traverfed the ocean till this time, he would 
have gone over only a fmall portion of it ; much 
of it he would never fee. Realms of gold lay 
glittering upon its placid margin. Mines of 



334 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



wealth lay hidden beneath its purple wave. He 
had but found the key of this magazine of 
wealth. So the difcoverer of Almighty love can 
know but little of his precious prize while here 
below. Boundlefs — fathomlefs — endlefs, it fpreads 
out before him, and will ever fpread. Here he 
merely fips of its overflowings. He has but 
difcovered the key of this treafure-houfe of love. 
O the depth of the riches both of the wifdom 
and goodnefs of God ! 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES* 



335 





"They wandered in deferts."— Heb. xi. 38. "For here we 
have no continuing city, but feek one to come." — Heb. 
xiii. 14. 

PASSAGE THROUGH THE DESERT. 

Amid the arid defert's burning fands, 
The Caravan proceeds, in various bands 3 



336 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Jew, Frank, and MufTulman, in fearch of gain, 
Unite to traverfe the deftruftive plain. 
The defert drear, more terrible to brave, 
Than furious tempeft on the ocean wave : 
The fky a molten dome of quiv'ring heat ; 
The earth a furnace, glows beneath the feet ; 
The wild wafte echoes as they move along, 
With laugh of humorous tale, or voice of fong. 
Armed, and united, they no danger fear 
From lion prowling, nor from robber's fpear ; 
But other foes oft-times 'gainft them advance, 
More to be dreaded than the Arab's lance : 
The fandy column, and firocco's blaft, 
Laden with certain death, come rufhing paft. 
Down ftraight they fall, flat on their faces lie, 
While the deftroying angel paffes by ; 
Through varied dangers thus their way they wend, 
Until at length they reach their journey's end. 

Here is reprefented the paflage of a caravan 
through the great and terrible defert of Africa. 
Merchants being defirous of vifiting the interior 
parts of Africa, for the fake of trading with the 
natives, form themfelves into companies for this 
purpofe. Here may be feen Arabs, Jews, Franks, 
and others, uniting for a common end, regardlefs 
of the differences of country and of creed ; they 
hire a certain number of camels, with their 
drivers — they lay in their ftock of goods, pro- 
vifions, &c. ; they furnim themfelves with a 
compals, and with arms for defence. When all 
is prepared, the fignal for departure is given, and 
the caravan moves onward - y by degrees they 
leave all traces of the living world behind them 
— foon they come in fight of the defert — evening 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



337 



now cafts its ftiadows round them — they find a 
flopping place ; here they reft for the night. In 
the morning they commence the perilous route ; 
in a fhort time, nothing is beheld by the travellers 
but one vaft ocean of fand, bounded only by the 
horizon ; as they move on, the heat becomes 
intenfe — the fky appears like a dome of molten 
fire — the earth glows like a furnace beneath theii 
feet ; a momentary gloom overfpreads the faces 
of the travellers as they fee fcattered here and 
there upon the fand, fkeletons, the remains of 
former travellers. They fhorten the diftance 
by rehearfing tales of wit and humour. Some- 
times the defert rings with the found of their 
merry fongs, — they truft to the guides for direc- 
tion, and to the guards for fafety ; being well 
armed they fear nothing. Sometimes, while yet 
on the border, the lion of the defert appears \ he 
fees them united and watchful — he dares not 
attack them — he lafhes his fides with his furious 
tail, and with a dreadful roar he bounds out of 
fight. Sometimes the Arab robbers, who think 
they have an hereditary right to plunder travellers, 
attack the caravan — they meet with a ftout 
refiftance, and finding themfelves worfted, they 
quickly difappear amid clouds of duft and fand. 

Other enemies, however, frequently appear, 
that laugh to fcorn their might of union, and hold 
in derifion the fhaking of the glittering fpear ; 
thQ peftilential fimoom, with the fpeed of thought, 
comes ruftiing on towards them, and unlefs they 
fall inftantly upon their faces and hold their breath, 

z 



338 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

they are all dead men. Sometimes they behold 
huge pillars of fand before them, the fun gleam- 
ing through them, giving them the appearance of 
pyramids on fire — each one is large enough to 
bury the caravan ; now they move towards them 
with fearful rapidity — now they take another 
direction. The wind ftiifts, and daftiing againft 
each other, they vanifti in a ftorm of fand. 
Sometimes the caravan is refreftied by meeting 
with a fertile fpot called an oafis — here is feen 
the grafly plain, the flowing fountain ; — here is 
heard the voice of finging birds ; here the palm, 
the vine, and the olive tree abound. New 
fpirited, the caravan refumes its journey, and in 
good time reaches the place of its deftination. 

The paffage through the defert may be con- 
fidered as an allegorical reprefentation of the 
paffage of the church of Chrift through the 
moral defert of this world. The church is in 
queft of eternal gain. She feeks a city which is 
out of fight ; " the New Jerufalem." The way 
thereto is through a moral defert, which is defti- 
tute of every heavenly plant. No living ftream 
flows through the midft thereof. No food for 
the foul is there ; no provifion for immortality. 
Above, around, beneath, the elements are, in 
themfelves confidered, unfriendly to fpiritual life 
and fpiritual progrefs. Hence the church fur- 
nifties herfelf with provifions, — Chrift, and the 
word of Chrift ; her compafs, the law of Jeho- 
vah ; her weapons, the whole armour of God ; 
her watchmen and guides, the minifters of Jefus. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



339 



The caravan was expofed to danger and death 
from the lion — the robber — the moving fands, and 
the fell fimoom. The church, too, has her 
dangers to contend againft. No fooner does 
(he commence her march, than Abaddon, the 
deftroyer, comes out againft her. If he fees 
her united, moving on firmly, and watchful 
withal, fhe is fafe, and he knows it. He gnafhes 
his teeth with rage, and looks about for more 
defencelefs prey. Woe, woe to the ftraggler he 
may meet with in his wrath, — to him who 
through indolence has lingered behind, or through 
pride thinks he can take care of himfelf, 
— he falls a vi£iim to his temerity. His fate 
becomes a monument of warning unto others. 
Next fhe is aflailed by the difciples of ancient 
herefies. Thefe come forth againft her with 
their rights of prefcription and of profcription. 
They advance " damnable doftrines," and feek 
to plunder her of her heaven-born treafures. 
But the church is armed, thoroughly armed. 
The efficient panoply, " the whole armour of 
God" is round about her. The fword of the 
Lord and of Gideon prevails, and the fpoilers, 
vanquifhed, retire amid the duft of their own 
confufion. But other foes fometimes appear, 
more dangerous than Satan undifguifed. Splendid 
images of idolatry prefent themfelves, glittering 
with the gilded pageantry of pompous ceremo- 
nies ; impofitions of unrighteous prerogative. 
Their tops reach the very heavens. They move 
to and fro, threatening to overwhelm the church 

Z 2 



340 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



beneath their cruftiing weight. She looks on 
awhile in aftonifhment at fuch heaven-daring 
impiety. She ftands firm ; me is girt about with 
truth. With a loud voice fhe gives utterance to 
her faith, — " Jehovah, he is the God ! Jehovah, 
he is the God ! " The fandy fabrics difappear 
like the moving columns of the defert. 

Sometimes, as a laft refort of fiendifh malice, 
the fimoom of perfecution is let loofe upon her. 
Earth and hell combine. The kings of the earth 
fet themfelves, and the rulers take counfel to- 
gether, faying, "Let us break their bands afunder, 
and call away their cords from us," The watch- 
word is, "deftroy, deftroy," and the whole 
power of the enemy is hurled againft the Lord's 
anointed. Her ordinary weapons of defence are 
here of no avail. She has recourfe to "all 
prayer. 9 ' She falls down low in the duft. In 
God is all her truft. He is her help and her 
ftiield. She hides herfelf in Him until this 
" calamity be overpaft." In every conflict fhe 
comes off victorious, as long as fhe continues 
united and watchful. 

Sometimes the church is favoured with extra- 
ordinary manifeftations of divine power and love ; 
thefe are to her as an oafis in the defert. The 
river that makes glad the city of God pours its 
full ftreams into the midft of her. She enjoys a 
glorious revival ; it is a foretafte of heaven. She 
arifes and puts on ftrength. Multitudes are 
added unto her. Clothed with falvation, me 
again moves onward in all the power of truth, 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 34I 

and in the majefty of holinefs, clear as the fun, 
fair as the moon, and glorious as an army with 
banners. Above her waves triumphant the 
banner of Redemption. Taking up the fong of 
prophecy as me advances, flie fings : — 

In the wildernefs fhall burft forth waters, 
And torrents in the defert $ 
And the glowing fand fhall become a pool 5 
The defert and the wafte fhall be glad, 
And the wildernefs fhall rejoice and flourifh, 
Like the rofe fhall it beautifully flourifh. 

Thus {he goes forward from ftrength to 
ftrength, fcattering in her path a new creation, 
until mercy's triumphs are complete, and God is 
all in all. 

Lord, what a wretched land is this 

That yields us no fupply ; 
No cheering fruits, no wholefome trees, 

Nor ftreams of living joy ! 
Yet the dear path to thine abode 

Lies through this weary land $ 
Lord ! we would keep that heavenly road, 

And run at thy command. 
Our fouls fhall tread the defert through, 

With undiverted feet ; 
And faith and naming zeal fubdue 

The terrors that we meet. 
A thoufand favage beafls of prey 

Around the defert roam ; 
But Judah's lion guards the way, 

And guides the pilgrims home. 
Through fimoom blafts, with gloomy fears 

We trace the facred road ; 
Through lonely waftes and dangerous fnares 

We make our way to God. 



342 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




" He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who fhall gather 
them." — Ps. xxxix. 6. "The covetous, whom the Lord 
abhorreth." — Ps. x. 3. 

SELFISHNESS. 

Look at the felflfh man ! See how he locks 
Tight in his arms his mortgages and Hocks ! 
While deeds and titles in his hands he grafps, 
And gold and filver clofe around him clafps. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



343 



But not content with this, behind he drags 

A cart well laden with the pondrous bags j 

The orphans' wailings and the widow's woe, 

From mercy's fountain caufe no tears to flow 5 

He pours no cordial in the wounds of pain, 

Unlocks no prifon, and unclafps no chain 5 

His heart is like the rock where fun nor dew 

Can rear one plant or flower of heavenly hue. 

No thought of mercy there may have its birth, 

For helplefs mifery or fuffering worth j 

The end of all his life is paltry pelf, 

And all his thoughts are centred on — himfelf ; 

The wretch of both worlds ; for fo mean a fum, 

" Firft ftaryed in this, then damned in that to come." 

Here is a poor fool "crouching beneath" 
more than " two burdens." Look at him ! fee 
how he pants and heaves, and groans beneath his 
load. With his right hand he grafps a large bag 
of gold and filver, together with bonds, titles, 
deeds and mortgages. In his left he clutches 
faft, ftocks and pledges, while fufpended to 
his left moulder dangles intereft upon intereft. 
Around his waift is buckled a leathern girdle, to 
which a waggon is attached by means of traces. 
This is loaded with bags and bales of rich an- 
nuities. He appears to have made " a clean 
fweep" wherever he has been ; defolation follows 
in his train. On the left hand of this receiver- 
general ftands a female, accompanied by two 
children. Look at them. They have come 
through the peltings of a winter's ftorm, poorly 
clad as they are, to lighten the poor man's load. 
They have nothing to carry. See ! they are be- 
feeching him to allow them to bear part of his 



344 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



burden. It would help them fomewhat ; it would 
circulate the blood and keep them warm ; it 
would benefit him, however, a great deal more, 
— pehaps fave his life. He looks angry ; he 
growls at them ; he curfes them in the name of 
his god, and fpurns them from his prefence. 
The man cannot be in his right mind, furely. 
Refufing afliftance, on he goes again, lamenting 
very much the time he has loft, for " time" with 
him u is money." On he goes, puffing and 
fweating and dragging. At length, ftill followed 
by the woman and children, he comes to a 
bridge thrown acrofs a river rolling rapidly. It 
looks quite fafe ; as he proceeds, it bends and 
cracks with the weight, and juft when he arrives 
at the middle it gives way and down he goes, 
bags and all ; he finks to the bottom like a ftone. 
The dark wave rolls over him ; he dieth as a 
fool dieth ; his memory has perifhed. 

The above engraving reprefents Selfifhnefs re- 
fufing the claims of diftrefled humanity. Perhaps 
all the manifeftations of fin in man may be traced 
to felfifhnefs as their fource. The warrior in his 
purfuit of glory ; the politician in hunting for 
power ; the covetous in fcheming for wealth ; 
the fcholar in his afpirations for fame ; all act 
from the principle of felfiftinefs. Here the felfifti 
principle manifefts itfelf in the acquifition of 
money ; in keeping it, and of courfe fixing the 
heart upon it as an objecl: worthy to be adored. 
The Moft High, looking down from the height 
of his holinefs, pronounces the man, "fool" 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



345 



Fool in fo miftaking the true ends of life, — in fo 
miftaking the nature of things as to think the foul 
could be fatiffied with duft and corruption ; in 
employing the noble powers of the mind about 
things fo bafe, mean, and contemptible, — in 
loving that which cannot return our love. Fool, 
in fubftituting the body for the foul, — time for 
eternity, — the world for God. Fool, to be " bit 
by rage canine of dying rich, guilt's blunder, and 
the loudeji laugh of hell" Fool, in heaping up 
riches and knowing not who (hall gather them. 

" High built abundance heap on heap, for what ? 
To breed new wants and beggar us the more, 
Then make a richer fcramble for the throng, 
Soon as this feeble pulfe which leaps fo long, 
Almoft by miracle is tired with play 5 
Like rubbifh from difploded engines thrown, 
Our magazines of hoarded trifles fly 5 
Fly diverie, fly to foreigners, to foes ! 
New mafteis court, and call the former fools, — 
How juftly for dependence on their ftay, 
Wide fcatter firft our playthings, then our duft. 

This is bad enough, but what is worfe the man 
of felfiflinefs is a man of guilt, often of deep, 
double-dyed, damnable guilt \ even in its moft 
innocent form felfifhnefs dethrones the blefTed 
God from his proper place in the human heart. 
Selfiftinefs is a rank idolator — he worftiips the 
creature more than the Creator. cc Thou (halt 
have no other gods before me." Like the horfe- 
leech, he is continually crying, Give, give ; he 
covets his neighbour's poffeffions — he is deter- 



34& RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

mined to obtain them if he can, either by fair 
means or by foul — to this end he often bears falfe 
witnefs againft his neighbour — nay, he will deftroy 
his^reputation, fometimes take his life. 

He is a devourer of widows' houfes ; he fore- 
ftalls and foreclofes whenever he can gain by fo 
doing. Selfiftinefs is a thief — firft, in withholding 
what belongs to God and the poor ; fecondly, in 
adlually feizing upon the property of others. 
See him go forth to take poffeffion of his neigh- 
bour's farm or houfe — in the face of day he goes ; 
the fua is looking at him, and God is looking at 
him, and the prophet of God within his breaft — 
conscience — remonftrates, as did the prophet Eli- 
jah, when Ahab had gone down to the vineyard 
of Naboth, to take poffeffion thereof. But fel- 
fifhnefs is deaf to the voice of the prophet, and 
the helplefs family is turned out into the ftreets, 
and another inheritance is added to his rent-roll. 

How great is the guilt of felfiflinefs j by him 
the commandments of God are all fet at nought ; 
nay, ftanding on the mountain of his ill-gotten 
wealth, he takes the two tables of the law, and 
breaks them to pieces, trampling the remnants 
beneath his feet. His heart is offified, callous, 
hard as the nether mill-ftone ; the minifters of 
religion plead for help — -he regards it not ; the 
daughters of benevolence plead for objects of 
charity all in vain; the weeping widow and the 
wailing orphan ftand before him, begging only 
what will fupport life a day — he fpurns them from 
his prefence. He has more than he needs, or 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



347 



ever will need, yet — dog in the manger like — he 
fnarls and keeps it all. 

In the map of Paleftine may be feen the Dead 
Sea; feveral rivers pour their ftreams into the 
midft thereof, and among them the Jordan ; here 
they are all fwallowed up ; the Dead Sea gives 
nothing back but bitternefs and dearth. It was 
formerly faid that birds in their pafTage over it 
dropped down dead. Selfimnefs is a Dead Sea^ 
receiving all, giving nothing, fave mifery, and 
want, and death. 

In the engraving, the houfe in the back ground 
looks ruined and defolate — felfifhnefs has been 
there. It is related of the locufts that " the 
noife they make in browfing the plants and trees 
may be heard at a diftance, like an army plunder- 
ing in fecret ; wherever they march the verdure 
difappears from the country, like a curtain drawn 
afide. The trees and plants, defpoiled of their 
leaves, make the hideous appearance of winter 
inftantly fucceed the bright fcenes of fpring — fire 
feems to follow their tracks." Selfimnefs may 
look behind him if he will, and fee in his rear the 
fame marks of defolation. 

Selfimnefs is a great advocate for the protection 
of his own interefts ; he has become rich, yet he 
is not rich God-ward. He has mortgages, but 
he himfelf, alas ! is mortgaged to the devil, and 
when the time expires, he will foreclofe and take 
pofleffion. He has pledges enough on earth, but 
no pledge of a future inheritance in heaven. 
And where ! where is the hope of the wretch^ 



34-8 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

though he hath gained, when God taketh 
his foul ! 

" How mocking muft thy fummons be, O death 
To him that is at eafe in his pofTeffions ; 
Who, counting on long years of pleafures here 
Is quite unfurnifhed for that world to come ! 
In that dread moment, how the frantic foul 
Raves round the walls of her clay tenement ; 
Runs to each avenue, and fhrieks for help, 
But fhrieks in vain ! How wifhfully me looks 
On all (he's leaving, now no longer hers ! 
A little longer, yet a little longer, 
Oh, might fhe flay, to warn away her ftains, 
And fit her for her paffage ! Mournful fight ! 
Her very eyes weep blood ; and every groan 
She heaves is big with horror. But the foe, 
Like a ftaunch murderer, fteady to his purpofe, 
Purfues her clofe, through every lane of life, 
Nor miffes once the track, but prefTes on ; 
Till forced at laft to the tremendous verge, 
At once fhe fmks to everlafting rum." 




" Fear not, for I am with thee." — Gen. xxvi. 24. "I will fear 
no evil, for thou art with me." — Ps. xxiii. 4. 

THE IMPERIAL PASSENGER. 
When the great Caefar, bent on high emprife, 
Beheld the winds and waves againft him rife, 
The fea and Ikies in wild commotion roll, 
To damp the ardour of his mighty foul 5 



350 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



But winds and waves in vain 'gainft him engage, 
And wafte upon themfelves their empty rage $ 
He nothing fears, he deems himfelf a God, 
And furious tempefts but await his nod. 
Not fo the mariners, — in fore dilmay 
They dare not venture from the fheltered bay, 
To whom the chief, their craven fouls to cheer, 
" Who carries Caefar need no danger fear." 
Awed into courage, foon they're on the wave, 
And all the fury of the ocean brave. 

The above engraving reprefents Julius Caefar 
in a violent ftorm. He is encouraging the boat- 
men to pull away. Caefar and Pompey at this 
time were about to difpute the empire of the 
world. The legions of Pompey were at Mace- 
donia ; thofe of Caefar lay at Brundufium, on the 
other fide of the river Apfus. Caefar, judging 
his prefence to be abfolutely neceflary for the 
fafety of his army, determined to crofs the river, 
notwithstanding it was guarded by the (hips of 
Pompey. A furious tempeft raged alfo at the 
fame time. Depending upon his good fortune, he 
difguifed himfelf, and fecured a fmall fifhing boat. 
His mind occupied with the importance of his 
miffion, thinks not of danger. He has had fo 
many hair-breadth efcapes on flood and field, that 
he deems himfelf under the immediate protection 
of the gods ; nay, that he himfelf poffeffes the 
power of controlling fortune. The boatmen 
think, however, very differently. Though 
accuftomed to danger, they will not put to fea in 
the prefent gale. Caefar, thinking all would be 
loft, affumes a commanding attitude, throws off 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



351 



his difguife, and addreffing the pilot, exclaims, 
"Quid times? Ccefarem vehis." — What do you 
fear ? you carry Caefar. The effect is electrical. 
Struck by his courageous bearing, the failors, 
afliamed of their fears, immediately put to fea 
with the intrepid chieftain. They exert them- 
felves to the utmoft; brave fearleffly the peltings 
of the ftorm, and land their noble paffenger fafely 
on the other fide. 

The above inftance of profane hiftory may 
ferve to illuftrate the prefence of God with his 
people, and the confidence they fhould have in 
him. The prefence and consequent power of 
God exifts, of courfe, everywhere. We cannot 
tell where God is not. We fee him in the 
embattled hoft that nightly mines in the blue 
vault of heaven ; in the queen of night, as 
failing through the iky, fhe gives to the fhadowed 
earth a look of kindred affection. When rofy 
morn lifts up the curtain of darknefs, and gives to 
our view the glorious orb of day coming forth 
from his chambers, rejoicing as a ftrong man to 
run a race ; in the vaft mountain, towering to 
meet the Ikies ; the immenfe ocean, rifing in the 
greatnefs of its ftrength ; the embowered foreft, 
bending to the breeze ; the deep blufli of the 
verdant mead ; the fmiles of the lufcious corn, 
and in the laughing flowers, we fee the power and 
prefence of the Omnipotent. The thunder 
proclaims him in the heavens ; the woodland 
minftrels among the trees ; the mountain torrent 
and the rippling brook befpeak his power; infe£ts 



352 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



fporting in the funbeams, and leviathan in the 
depths of the fea, alike mow forth his praife. 
Magnitude cannot o'erpower him, minutenefs 
efcape him, or intricacy bewilder him. He 
guides and preferves all by his prefence and 
power. 

" The rolling year 
Is full of Thee. Forth in the pleafmg Ipring 
Thy beauty walks, thy tendernefs and love ; 
Then comes thy glory in the iiimmej months, 
With light and heat refulgent. Then thy lun 
Shoots full perfection through the fwelling year. 
Thy bounty mines in autumn unconfined, 
And fp reads a common feaft for all that lives. 
In winter, awful Thou ! with clouds and ftorms 
Around thee thrown, tempeft o'er tempeft rolled. 
Majeftic darknefs ! on the whirlwind's wing, 
Riding fublime. Thou bid'ft the world adore, 
And humbler! nature with thy northern blaft." 

The prefence of God with his people is, how- 
ever, manifefted in a different manner. Nature 
is managed by fubordinate agents ; the church by 
his immediate prefence. Natural objects wax 
old and perifh, as doth a garment ; yea, the 
elements will melt with fervent heat ; the earth 
alfo, and the works that are therein, mail be 
burned up ; but of the church it is declared, that 
the gates of hell mall not prevail againft it ; and 
of Chrift's kingdom, which is the church, it is 
faid, " Thy kingdom is an everlafting kingdom, and 
thy dominion without end.' 5 Hence to perpetuate 
the church, the prefence of God has been mani- 
fefted in a peculiar manner. In the march of 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



353 



the church through the ages of time on toward 
eternity, how plainly has he mown his powerful 
prefence. 

Is the world through fin covered with a flood 
of waters, as with a garment ? God himfelf 
fuperintends the building of an ark, for the 
falvation of his infant church. Does famine 
threaten her with deftru£rion ? — He opens to her 
wants the granaries of Egypt. Does the fea 
oppofe her when me would go and " facrifice to 
the Lord her God ? " — He divides for her a 
paflage through the midft thereof, and fhe goes 
through dry mod. Does fhe fuffer hunger in the 
defert ? — He unlocks the ftorehoufe of heaven, 
and feeds her with angels' food. Is fhe thirfty ? 
— the very rocks are made to yield ftreams of 
living water. By his prefence her foes fall before 
her; Jordan's waves roll backward, and Canaan 
fpreads for her repaft its ftores of milk and honey. 
u Happy art thou, O Ifrael ! Who is like unto 
thee, O people faved by the Lord, who is the 
fword of thy excellency, and the fhield of thy 
help ? " 

Nor has the church been lefs favoured with the 
divine prefence, fmce Jefus paid in full the price of 
her redemption, remodelled his temple, and adorned 
the fan&uary with the beauty of holinefs. When 
we fee the Saviour in the ftorm, on the Sea of 
Tiberias, chiding the fears of his difciples, and 
Ailling the winds and the waves, we fee a type 
and a promife of his future prefence with his 

A A 



354 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



people. Emmanuel, <c God with us ; " this is 
his name ; how full of confolation ! with us in 
his own proper perfon. The government is ftill 
upon his moulders. " He will not give his glory 
to another." He does not rule by proxy. He 
needs no "vicar" on the earth. His real pre- 
fence is with his people. He is fulfilling his own 
gracious promife, "Lo, I am with you alway, even 
to the end of the world." 

The fact of being engaged in an important 
enterprize, and a confcioufnefs that great refults 
will follow a certain courfe of conduit, nerves up 
the foul to action, and enables it to do and fufFer. 
When the boatmen knew who it was that faid 
unto them, u Fear not," knowing, too, that the 
fate of nations depended upon their conduit, they 
were infpired with energy and courage, and deter- 
mined to fink or fwim with Caefar. But behold 
a greater than Caefar is here. 

Jefus, the Almighty Conqueror, fays to his 
people, " Fear not, for I am with you." In the 
furious tempeft that fometimes meets them in the 
path of duty, when their hearts quail and all 
appears to be loft, His glorious prefence mines 
amid the darknefs. <c Fear not" he exclaims, 
"you carry Jefus" The church, emboldened at 
the fight, difmifs their fears, receive a new infpira- 
tion, and in the ftrength of a living faith refpond, 
" Therefore will we not fear, though the earth 
be removed out of its place, and the mountains 
be caft into the depths of the fea, for the Lord 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



355 



of Hofts is with us, the God of Jacob is our 
refuge." 

"Fear not^ you carry Jefus" Thou defponding 
one, fear not. Does not Chrift dwell in thy 
heart by faith ? Is not " Chrift in you," the life 
of faith — the life of love — " the hope of glory ? " 
Is he not working in you both to will and to do ? 
Then be ftrong in the Lord and in the power of 
his might. Fear not, He is thy Jhield^ and thy 
exceeding great reward. 

Of Cyrus it is faid, that he knew his foldiers 
every one by name. But by the Captain of your 
falvation, the very hairs of your head are all num- 
bered. Unbelief dims the eye fo that it cannot 
fee Jefus. Faith opens it, and the glorious 
prefence of the Saviour is revealed. Where the 
king is, there alfo is the court ; and where the 
Saviour is, there alfo is his court. His attendants 
are all there. Power — majefty — riches and glory, 
encircle his throne. Stormy winds, lightning and 
thunder, are minifters of his that do his pleafure. 

God is with his people. He is their covenant 
God. Hence all his attributes are employed for 
their good. He cares for them. " As a father 
pitieth his children, fo he pities them that fear 
him. He has purchafed them by his own blood." 
They are his " peculiar treafure " the lot of 
his inheritance." Therefore no weapon that is 
formed againft them can profper. To banim dif- 
truft for ever from their hearts, he pledges himfelf 
never to leave them, never to forfake them. 

A A 2 



356 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

When thou pafleft through the waters I will be with thee, 
And through the rivers they mall not overflow thee 5 
When thou walkeft through the fire thou malt not be 
burned, 

Neither fhali the flame kindle upon thee, 

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Ifrael, 

Thy Saviour. 




" I will truft in thee." — Ps. lvi. 3. "According to your Faith be 
it unto you." — Matt. ix. 29. 

VENTURING BY FAITH. 



Behold the flames in all their fury roll, 
Raging and fp reading, fpurning all control $ 
Upward they fhoot in many a gleaming fpire, 
And then rum downward in a flood of fire. 



358 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

With fiercer heat the burning columns glow, 
And loon the building totters to and fro. 
But whence that fcream that rings upon our ears ? 
In the high cafement, fee, a child appears ! 
With outftretched arms imploring for relief — 
The crackling timbers only mock his grief. 
" O Father, fave ! " in piteous tones he cries, 
At length his father hears him and replies, 
" Fly to my arms, my fon, without delay — 
Fly ere the flames devour their helplefs prey." 
Death haftes behind, Hope beckons from before ; 
He ventures freely and his danger's o'er. 

" The foul of an awakened finner," fays Dr. 
Coke, " before he ventures on Chrift for falvation, 
may be compared to a perfon who is in fome of 
the upper ftories of his houfe when he learns that 
it has taken fire, and that all its nether parts are 
fo far involved in flame as to cut off his retreat.'' 
The engraving mows a young perfon who has 
been roufed from his midnight {lumbers by the 
raging flames which burft into the place where he 
was repofing, or perhaps he was aw 7 akened by the 
voice of fome friend, who raifed a warning cry 
from without. The child, thoroughly awakened, 
fees that if he flays where he is, he will perifli in 
the flames ; he hears the voice of his father — 
he flies to the window — he fees the outftretched 
arms — he is invited to leap or caft himfelf from 
the burning houfe ; the attempt feems perilous 
indeed, but havingfaith in the word of his father, 
he takes the perilous leap — he ventures all — he 
falls into the hands of his father unharmed - y he 
is faved from death. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



359 



This is a good illuftration of the aft of juftify- 
ing Faith. The child in the burning houfe 
perhaps made feveral efforts to efcape from the 
approaching ruin ; he attempts to gain the door, 
but finding the flames increafe upon him, he is 
obliged to give up his hope of efcaping this way, 
and to afcend the ftairs before the purfuing fire. 
His friends without, who know his condition and 
danger (particularly his father), entreat him to 
call himfelf from the upper window, as the only 
means by which his life can be preferved. 

The child hears the earneft entreaties of his 
friends — hefitates, attempts, retires, approaches 
the window, calculates upon the fearful height, 
and dreads to make the effort. His underftand- 
ing is convinced that the fire will foon overtake 
and deftroy him, yet while the danger appears 
fomewhat remote, he ftrangely lingers ; poflibly 
thinking there may be fome other way to efcape, 
befides cafting himfelf from the window. 

His friends again encourage him to venture 
from the window, affuring him that they have 
provided for his fafety by fpreading on the ground 
the fofteft materials, to break the violence of his 
fall ; full of hefitation, he afks for fenfible evi- 
dence ; they defire him to look — he makes an 
effort, but the darknefs of the night, and the 
injury his fight has fuftained, only permit him to 
view the obje£l of his wiflies obfcurely and indif- 
tincTJy. Belief and doubt contend for the empire 
of his mind, and by keeping it in an equipoife 5 
prevent it from making any decifive choice. 



360 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Thus far the fituation of the child refembles 
that*of the foul who feels his need of falvation. 
The understandings of both are enlightened ; the 
judgments of both are convinced by the force 
of evidence ; they appear to aflent to the truths 
which are propofed for their belief, and ftill neither 
of them has efcaped to the place of fafety, or city 
of refuge, which lies before him. Both, however, 
have found the way toefcape the impending ruin; 
and to him who thus fpiritually feeks after Chrift, 
it may be faid, Thou art not far from the kingdom 
of God ; but ftill one thing is lacking, that is, to 
venture on the Saviour for falvation. 

Thus far, in the allegory, the child has made 
no effectual effort to efcape from within the 
burning walls ; while lingering in his room, in a 
ftate of indecifion, agonizing for deliverance, 
without ufing the means of obtaining it, feeling 
a meafure of confidence in his friends below, but 
not enough to venture, the flames burft into his 
apartment and fcorch him in his laft retreat. 
Alarmed at the immediate profpeft of death, he 
concludes — if I remain here I mail furely die, 
and if I caft myfelf down from the building I 
ftiall but die. 

Fully im pre fled with this truth he once more 
repairs to the window ; he pays more attention 
to the call of his friends, particularly to that of 
his father ; the difficulty now appears fomewhat 
lefs, and the profpecl of fafety greater, than what 
he before imagined. Encouraged by thefe fa- 
vourable appearances, as well as driven by ter- 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES, 361 

ror, he commits his foul to God — he cafts 
himfelf into the arms of his father below. In 
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye 5 he falls ! 
he is caught and embraced by his father ; he 
finds everything prepared for his reception as he 
had been promifed, and he now feeis himfelf in a 
ftate of fafety. With tears of grateful joy, and a 
heart overflowing with thankfulnefs for his de- 
liverance, he gives glory to God, and finds his 
bofom filled with peace. 

This is the cafe of every foul who, by faith, 
ventures his all on Chrift. But who can find 
words to exprefs all that is conveyed by this 
fimile ? Every one who has caft himfelf into 
the arms of his heavenly Father through the 
atoning facrifice, can feel it, but adequate ex- 
preflions are not to be found. Human language 
is too poor to unfold in all their branches, the 
things of God, and we are often under the necef- 
fity of reforting to fuch expedients in order to 
find a medium to communicate our thoughts. 

We fee by the allegory that no one is in a 
ftate of fafety till they have actually ventured on 
Chrift for falvation. The foul may be convinced 
that there is no other way of falvation but by 
venturing on Chrift, but unlefs it a6ts and puts 
forth an effort, there is no falvation. The youth 
in the burning houfe may be convinced he muft 
leave it if he would fave his life, but he may, 
perhaps, think there is no immediate danger if he 
ftays in the houfe a little longer ; it will take 
fome time, he thinks, for the fire to confume the 



362 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

foundation on which the floor of his apartment 
refts. The very reverfe of this may be true — 
the fire has almoft reached him, and he knows it 
not ; all that fupports the platform on which he 
{lands is well nigh confumed, and he may be pre- 
cipitated in a moment into the burning flames 
below. So the foul may be rationally convinced, 
that if it remains in its prefent ftate it muft be 
for ever loft, yet thinking that there is time 
enough yet to attend to the fubje6l of the foul's 
falvation in earneft, and wifhing to remain in its 
prefent ftate a little longer, u a little more fleep, 
and a little more flumber, and folding of the arms 
to fleep,'' fudden deftrudtion may come in a mo- 
ment — the cords of life may be fnapped afunder, 
without a moment's warning, and fink into the 
flaming billows to rife no more. 

W e will fuppofe that the youth in the burning 
houfe, inftead of trying to get out of it as foon as 
poflible, mould ftop to afcertain by what means 
the houfe took fire — who fet it on fire — this man 
or the other, or whether it took fire accidentally 
or not— would not every fpectator call him a fool 
for troubling himfelf about fuch queftions while 
his life was in fuch danger. Would not the ciy 
be, efcape for thy life — tarry not — look not be- 
hind thee — leave the burning houfe inftantly ? 
Equally foolifti would that foul be who is con- 
vinced of his guilt and danger, inftead of flying 
to Chrift for falvation, ftiould fpend its time in 
trying to find out the reafon why fin was fuffered 
to lay wafte the works of God — could it not 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 363 

have been prevented — and many other fubjects 
of the like kind, equally unfathomable by the 
human mind. 

It muft be obferved that the Faith exercifed 
by the youth in the burning houfe, caufed him to 
act and venture his life on the hTue. Perhaps he 
might reafon, that his being at fuch a diftance 
from his father and his friends, who flood on the 
ground below, it would be impoffible for them to 
iave him from being darned to pieces mould he 
caft himfelf down ; there may be a ftrong con- 
flict between belief and unbelief, but genuine 
faith will conquer. The foul that is truly and 
favingly in earneft about its falvation, not only 
believes in a general manner that the Bible is the 
voice of God to man, but his belief muft induce 
him to hearken to that voice, and confider its 
threatenings as denounced againft his difobe- 
dience ; he muft, in order to obtain falvation, fly 
to Chrift, caft himfelf upon his mercy, and claim 
the promifes which are made to the foul that puts 
its truft in his mercy and power. 

The youth in the burning houfe difcovers that 
there are no back ftairs by which he can reach a 
place of fafety, for they are already entirely de- 
ftroyed by the fire, or elfe nothing but a burning 
mafs, fo that efcape by them is utterly impoffible. 
In like manner the truly awakened foul will fee 
that there is no other way of efcape but to leave 
the ftate of fin and death, as there can be no fal- 
vation while remaining in it. But if the foul will 
go forward and caft itfelf into the everlafting 



364 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



arms of love and compaffion, He who cannot 
promifes falvation. 

" Come, humble firmer, in whofe breaft 
A thoufand thoughts revolve, 
Come, with your guilt and fear oppreffed, 
And make this laft refolve : 

" I'll go to Jefus, though my fin 
Like mountains round me clofe 5 
I know his courts, I'll enter in, 
Whatever may oppofe," 




6 Broad is the way that leadeth to deftru&ion, and many there be 

that go in thereat Narrow is the way which leadeth 

unto life, and few there be that find it." — Matt. vii. 13, 14. 



THE PATH OF LIFE, AND WAY OF DEATH. 



The Path of Life, and Death's frequented way, 
Who can defcribe ? what pencil can portray ? 



366 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



The way of Death is broad, with downward Aide, 

Eafy and pleafant to man's luft and pride ; 

T is thronged with multitudes who glide along 

With gold, and drink, and dance, and wanton fong : 

Nor thefe alone — but fome of decent mien, 

" Harmlefs" and " ufelefs," on the way are feen 5 

In ruin's gulph it ends. See ! riling there, 

Thick clouds of blacknefs, and of dark defpair. 

The Path of Life lifts up its narrow breadth, 
High o'er the realms of darknefs and of death 5 
Sky-rifmg, ftill, laborious, and ftraight, 
Leading directly up to heaven's gate j 
'T is wondrous ftrange, and yet, alas ! 't is true, 
The Path of Life is travelled but by few, 
Though ending where the (hades of night ne'er fall, 
But one eternal Light encircles all. 

Here is depicted the path of life and the way of 
death. The way of death is exceeding broad, 
and on an inclined plane. It has a downward 
tendency ; it is occupied by a vafl: multitude. 
Some are feen throwing themfelves off the way 
headlong, pothers are bearing aloft the terrible 
banners of war. They are elated with victory. 
Here the man of pleafure revels in delight. The 
drunkard is dancing with wild delirious joy, and 
the mifer groans beneath his bags of gold. 
There are, however, fome fober, refpe£table 
people on the way. Thefe appear to look grave 
and thoughtful. The way ends, you perceive, 
in total darknefs. Thick clouds of curling 
blacknefs, rifing from a pit or gulf, cover the 
extremity of the way. The travellers enter the 
difmal fhades, and we fee them no more. 

From the way of death you fee another way. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



367 



or path rather, ftretching up, as it were, into the 
clouds. This is called the path of life. It is 
extremely narrow. It is moreover difficult on 
account of its upward tendency. Few perfons 
are feen walking on it ; thefe fcattered here and 
there. This path appears to end well. We can 
fee where it does end. A beautiful palace opens 
its golden gates to receive the wearied travellers. 
From its open portals burfts forth a dazzling 
light that illuminates the pathway beneath. 

By the way of death, is fignified the way of 
fin that leads to death eternal. " The wages of 
fin is death." Its downward tendency denotes 
that it is much eafier to go wrong than to go 
right. The way of fin is eafy and pleafant to 
man's corrupt nature. He delights in it after 
the inner man. Were it not fo, furely fo many 
in all ages v/ould not be found walking therein. 
The Creator himfelf gives us the reafon. u The 
thoughts of the imaginations of his heart are evil, 
only evil, and that continually." Hence man 
follows the bent of his inclination. He goes 
with the ftream ; " every one in his own way." 
To do otherwife would require felf-denial and 
vigorous perfevering effort. 

In the engraving, fome are feen calling them- 
felves off the way. By this is meant, not that 
finners grow tired of the way of fin exactly, but 
that they are tired of themfelves ; they are tired 
of life. Their fubftance is expended in gambling 
and profligacy. The means of indulging their 
depraved appetite no longer exifts ; hence they 



368 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



commit filicide ; plunge into eternity, and add 
to the number of thofe who die without hope, 
for " Except ye repent, ye fhall all likewife 
perifh." Others, by their exceffes in riotous 
living and debaucheries, break down their con- 
ftitution, and deftroy life, and thus perifh with 
thofe who " live not out half their days." 

Warriors are alfo in the way of death, raifing 
to the breeze the flag of triumph. Thefe denote 
the men " who delight in war," — who, for 
wealth and glory, " fink, burn, and deftroy," 
and flaughter their fellow-creatures. Thefe 
violate the law of Jehovah, u Thou malt not 
kill." Drunkards too are in this way, caroufing 
with ftrong drink, dancing with maniac madnefs, 
and yet, on the way to ruin, drowning the cares 
of time, but planting thorns for eternity. Thefe 
belong to the clafs of whom it is faid, " Such 
mail not inherit the kingdom of God." The 
one with the bag of gold reprefents that very 
large clafs who worftiip Mammon on the earth ; 
who never think even of heaven, except when 
they remember that it is paved with gold. Thefe 
are idolaters ; the meaneft of the Devil's drudges, 
the vileft of the flaves of fin. Others enjoy 
the pleafures of fin ; but he fweats and groans 
beneath his load ; he takes place with the 
breakers of God's law, u Thou fhalt have no 
other gods before me." 

Some pafs the time in wanton dalliance ; 
thefe defignate the adulterer, fornicator, and the 
impure. Thefe take pleafure in unrighteoufnefs ; 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



3^ 



give up their affections to the control of luft ; 
indulge in mere animal delights ; imbrute their 
manhood ; quench their intellect, and barter the 
glories of heaven for a u portion in the lake 
which burneth with fire and brimftone ; this is 
the fecond death." Others of ftaid and refpect- 
able appearance are in this way. Men of 
dignity and of confequence ; men of morals and 
phiiofophy, all honourable men ; men who are 
harmlefs in their generation, honeft in their 
dealings. They " render to Caefar the things 
which are Caefar's," but, alas for them, they do 
not " render unto God the things which are 
God's." One thing only is wanting. " One 
thing thou lackeft." * The heart is unsurren- 
dered ; hence there is no repentance — no living 
faith — no homage — no love — no obedience — no 
falvation. Thefe, alas, all take rank with the 
" unprofitable fervant," who was caft into outer 
darknefs, where there is weeping, and wailing, 
and gnafhing of teeth. 

But time would fail to defcribe the various 
characters that throng the way of death. The 
grofs fenfualift, the haughty Pharifee, and the 
fpecious hypocrite, are all here. But is it poffible, 
fome one may fay, that fo many are in the way 
to eternal death ? God himfelf has anfwered 
the queftion ; we have heard his voice. It is 
not only true that they are going, but that 
they go of their own accord. The finner is 
threatened, admonifhed, and warned, and yet he 
B B 



37<3 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



goes on. He is perfuaded, entreated, and invited 
to turn and live, and yet he goes on. 

If you fee a man travelling a road that you 
know to be frequented with robbers, you tell 
him of his danger ; he perfifts in going on j the 
robbers ftrip him and leave him for dead ; who 
is to blame ? The finner is warned of his 
danger, and yet he perfifts in fin. Numbers 
control not the fword of juftice. The antedilu- 
vians were faithfully warned ; they went on and 
perifhed in the flood. The men of Sodom were 
warned \ they perfifted, and perifhed in the rain 
of fire. The Jews were warned alfo, even by 
the Son of God, and yet they went on in 
rebellion, until of their city not one ftone was 
left ftanding upon another, and themfelves 
fcattered and peeled among the nations. 

The finner neglects a great falvation. Neglect- 
ing only to get into the Ark will expofe him 
to the flood of fire. Negleding falvation, he 
contemns the u love of God." He " tramples 
upon the blood of the covenant" He does 
" defpite to the Spirit of grace." How fhall he 
efcape if he neglects fo great falvation. c< Thefe 
fhall go away into everlafting punifhrnent." 

" I faw the lake of quenchlefs fires, 
And fouls on its billows toft ;] 
Defpair, remorfe which ne'er expires, 
The worm of the deathlefs loft. 
" Grief filled my burfting heart, — I cried, 
( Shall this diftrels end never ?' y 
The fhrieks of millions loud replied, 
( Thefe pangs endure — for ever ! ' ' 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



37 1 



By the path of life is defignated the path of 
holinefs, that leads to life eternal. " BlefTed are 
the pure in heart, for they mall fee God." It is 
narrow and fteep ; it requires care and effort. 
The pilgrim muft deny himfelf ; take up his 
crofs daily, and watch unto prayer. It is 
difficult only to flefh and blood ; to the carnal, 
mind, not to the fpiritual ; to the unregenerate, 
not to him that is born again. To the righteous 
its ways are ways of pleafantnefs, and all its paths 
are paths of peace. Narrow is the way that 
leads to life, and few there are that find it. 
Fewer ftill endure to the end thereof. The few 
were once in the way of death. They were 
among the many that were called. They obeyed 
the heavenly call, forfook the broad way, and 
entered upon the path of life. 

The path of life ends well ; God delights in 
holinefs. He did not overlook Noah in the 
overflowing of the ungodly, nor Lot in Sodom. 
The faithful few are God's jewels ; his hidden 
ones,, while tribulation and " anguifti are affigned 
to the difobedient." The patient continuance 
of the righteous in well-doing will be rewarded 
with u glory, and honour, and immortality," for 
the ranfomed of the Lord fhall return and come 
to Zion with fongs and everlafting joy upon their 
heads. They fhall obtain joy and gladnefs, and 
forrow and fighing fhall flee away. 

" I faw the eountlefs, happy throng 
In the bliftful regions high j 

B B 2 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



White robes — gold crowns — and lofty fong, 

With their harps in harmony. 
Hope brightened at the dazzling fight, 

( Shall aught from heaven fever ?' 
And myriads fimg — 6 Our peace, joy, light, 

And glory, tail for ever/ " 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 373 




on the morrow." — James iv. 14. 



PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. 
Look on the Paft. Behold ! wide fcattered round, 
Time's fragments— everywhere they ftrew the ground : 
The Dead are there— once blooming, young, and gay, 
'Mid putrefa&ion, lo ! they wafte away. 



374 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



The aged oak, once tall, and ftrong, and green, 
Decayed and withered in the paft is feea j 
The lordly manfion, once the owner's truft, 

ts glory gone, fee crumbling into duft. 
E'en Egypt's boaft, the pyramids of yore. 
Shall fall to ruin, and be known no more. 
The Paft is gone ; the Future, black as nighty 
By clouds lies hidden from all mortal fight ; 
The Prefent's here — fee there with angel brow, 
Wifdom lifts up her voice of mercy. Now — 
Now — the accepted time, the gracious day, 
When man repentant wipes his ftains away ; 
Infpires new life, through the atoning blood, 
And writes his name among the fons of God. 

This pidture is emblematical of the Paft, 
Future, and Prefent, as thefe divifions of time 
appear to us, who are now on the ftage of human 
life. Behold the Paft ! See there the fragments 
that time has left behind : there is the burying 
place, filled with the records of the paft — what a 
volume of Biography is the grave-yard; there 
they lie, the blooming and the beautiful— the 
ftrong and the active — all mouldering into duft. 
The laughing eye — the noble brow — the dimpled 
cheek— the teeth of pearl — the mufical tongue- — 
the brain creative — and the cunning hand — all, 
all, are filent in the tomb, and melting into earth. 

There, too, is the oak, that once towered in 
ftrength and beauty, now withered and decayed ; 
once it gave fhelter to the beafts of the field, the 
fowls of heaven lodged in its branches — now it 
needs a prop to prevent its falling to the ground. 

The fplendid manfion is feen crumbling into 
duft. Architecture, and fculpture, and painting, 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



37 S 



had beftowed upon it their higheft efforts ; the 
artift looked with pride upon it 5 the owner 
delighted in it \ but it is gone — its glory has 
departed — it is among the things that have been. 

In the diftance are feen the huge forms of the 
pyramids — Egypt's renown and the wonder of 
the world — memorials of the paft, telling us of 
the folly, cruelty, defpotifm, and ambition of 
kings — telling us, too, doubtlefs, of the fweat, 
and groans, and tears, and blood, of thoufands of 
men like ourfelves, who flaved and laboured to 
build thofe gigantic monuments — but thefe alfo 
will pafs away ; if not before, they muft when 
the earth mail reel to and fro, and totter like a 
drunken man. Then, at leaft, all phyfical 
reminifcences of the paft, finking into the deep 
fea of oblivion, will be recognized no more. 

The Future is reprefented by clouds of dark- 
nefs that rife upon the path, and fhut out from 
mortal vifion all profpect of what is before. 
Religion^ the daughter of the fkies, who defcended 
from heaven, and who is haftening back again to 
her bleft abode, is feen on the circular path of 
time. It is time Prefent wherever fhe appears ; 
fhe holds in her hand a fcroll, fee its burden ! 
She is in earneft. She looks benignly and com- 
paffionately as fhe paffes by. She makes known 
to man his higheft good. Above her head is 
feen a crown of glory; this fhe promifes to all 
who will obey her voice, and improve the prefent 
time. 

The paft is gone. The caftles — the manfions 



37 6 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



— the green oaks — and the towers — and let them 
go ! The monuments of the pride, and ambition, 
and wickednefs of kings and conquerors, are 
crumbling into duft, and let them crumble! 
The glory, fplendour, and renown of heroes, are 
fail fading away, and let them fade. But the 
dead fliall live again — -they that fleep in the duft 
lhall awake — that which is fown in diihonour 
ftiall be raifed in glory. 

The paft is gone — time once loft is loft for 
ever. Paft opportunities for doing good and for 
getting "good are gone, and gone for ever. 
" 'Tis greatly wife to talk with our paft hours, 
and aik them what report they bore to heaven.'' 
Happy he, 

" Whofe work is done ; who triumphs in the paft, 
Whole yefterdays look backward with a fmile ; 
Nor like the Parthian wound him as they fly : 
That common but opprobrious lot. Paft hours, 
If not by guilt, yet wound us by their flight, 
If folly bounds our profpecl by the grave. 

Yet there is a fenfe in which the paft never 
dies. It haunts us like the ghoft of the murdered 
— it is ever prefent — an angel of light cafting 
upon us a look of heavenly love, or a demon of 
darknefs fcowling with malignity and hate- — the 
memory will exift for ever. The remembrance 
of paft actions will, therefore, live for ever. u O 
for yefterdays to come ! " 

The Future is concealed — clouds and darknefs 
hide it from our view. We know not what a 
day may bring forth, nor what an hour ; we* 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



377 



know, however, that Death is there, and after 
Death the Judgment, and after the Judgment the 
iffues thereof, u Eternal life 99 or " Eternal 
death. 99 But this is all we know, and this is 
enough, if we are wife ; how much of joy or 
forrow there may be for us in the future, we 
know not ; whether our path will be ftrewed 
with rofes or with thorns, we cannot tell — moft 
likely they will be mixed. What opportunities 
for improvement in religious duties and privileges, 
or what hindrances, we may have, we know not 
— how much of life — who can tell ? A man may 
plant, and build, and lay up goods for many years, 
and yet to-day may be his laft day — to-night his 
foul may be required of him. 

If, then, the paft is gone, and if the future may 
never come to us in life, it behoves us to improve 
the prefent. God, in his mercy, offers falvation 
now. Now is the accepted time — now is the day 
of falvation. What is it that is offered ? Salva- 
tion. Thou canft not do without falvation ; 
without it thou art loft, and loft for ever. Seize 
then, O feize the angel as fhe paffes, nor fuffer 
her to go until fhe blefs thee. The prefent time, 
how important ! It includes the vaft concerns of 
the eternal ftate. Deftroy it not, there is a 
bleffing in it. " Throw years away ? Throw 
empires, and be blamelefs." The prefent feize — 

" Oh what heaps of llainj 

Cry out for vengeance on us ! Time deftroyed 

Is filicide, where more than blood is Ipilt; 

Time flies — death urges — knells call — heaven invites — 



378 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

Hell threatens — all exerts j in effort all ; 
More than creation labours ! — labours more ! 
Man lleeps, and man alone 5 and man for whom 
All elfe is in alarm ; man the fole caufe 
Of this furrounding ftorm 5 and yet he lleeps, 
As the ftorm rocked to reft." 

Now is the accepted time ; God will accept 
thee now ; he nowhere promifes to accept thee 
to-morrow. Think, O think, of thy foul, and 
its value ; think of Jehovah and his love ; think 
of Chrift and his precious blood ; think of heaven 
and its eternal blefTednefs ; of hell and its terrible 
torments. Upon thy prefent conduct refts thy 
eternal deftiny. What art thou fowing ? What 
are thou working ? What art thou treafuring up ? 
Let confcience anfwer. Think of the pafr, and 
all its guilt — of the future, and its great uncer- 
tainty — of the prefent as thine. To-morrow may 
be too late ; now is the^ day of falvation — now 
thou may 'ft warn away thy fins, calling upon the 
name of the Lord-— infpire a new life — rejoice in 
glorious hope — enroll your name among the 
children of God, and become a glorious citizen 
of immortality in heaven." 

Improve the prefent. See, look on that beach ; 
there is a boat high and dry with a man in it — he 
is aileep. The fhip to which he belongs is in the 
offing ; fhe will fail the next tide. The tide rifes 
— the man fleeps on — the tide ebbs — he awakes 
— the water is gone, the fhip is gone, and he is 
left to perifh on a defolate ifland. There is a tide 
.in man's fpiritual affairs, which, when taken at 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



379 



the rife, leads on to heaven — omitted, he may be 
left to perifti. " My Spirit, faith the Lord, {hall 
not always Arrive with man." 

Now is the accepted time. Behold that railroad 
car ; it has juft ftarted. Look again ; there is a 
perfon with his hands upraifed, exclaiming, " Alas, 
too late !" He is left behind — his friends are all 
on board, and he is not with them ; great is his 
grief. Man is a ftranger here — God fends the 
chariot of his love to bear him home. Again 
and again it comes — it is here now — O finner, 
ftep on board. The Saviour is there — he invites 
thee to leave thy fins and finful companions, and 
get on board of the heavenly car — the car of 
mercy. It is ready to ftart — all things are now 
ready — fome of thy friends are there. Hefitate 
not — delay not — or, like the paflenger, thou 
may' ft find thyfelf in a more mournful fenfe u too 
late" and " a moment you may wim when worlds 
want wealth to buy." 

O God, our help in ages pail, 

Our hope for years to come, 
Oar fhelter from the ftormy blaft, 

And our eternal home. 

Before the hills in order flood, 

Or earth received her frame, 
From everlafting thou art God, 

To endlefs years the fame. 

Thy word commands our flefh to duft, 

" Return, ye fons of men 
All nations role from earth at firft, 

And turn to earth again. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



A thoufand ages in thy fight, 

Are like an evening gone ; 
Short as the watch that ends the night, 

Before the rifmg fun. 

The bufy tribes of flefh and blood, 
With all their lives and cares, 

Are carried downward by the flood, 
And loft in following years. 

W ATTS. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 




" For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things." — 
Rom. xi. 36. " Time is fliort." — 1 Cor. vii. 29. " Which 
is, and which was, and which is to come." — Rev. i. 8. 



PROVIDENCE, TIME, ETERNITY. 

Upon a narrow ifle, 'mid waters vaft, 
By ftrefs of tide the voyagers are call 5 



3 82 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



Beneath — around — a dark and boundlefs Tea ; 
Above, thick clouds wrap all in myftery. 
The Ocean wears the more on every fide, 
As Time decreafes 'neath the Eternal tide, 
Yet one — deluded man ! ftrives much to reach 
The (hells and pebbles on the crumbling beach ; 
The waves dafh on — another pondering ftands, 
And fees deftru6Hon come with folded hands. 
Not fo the third — he turns his longing eyes. 
And views a chain defcending from the fkies, 
The Providential chain with links of love, 
Watched by an eye that never deeps above 5 
He grafps the chain — from all his fears it faves, ' 
While his companions perim 'neath the waves. 



In the engraving is feen a reprefentation of the 
all-feeing eye. It is placed above every thing 
elfe, to ftiow that the eye of God's Providence 
watches over all creation, taking notice of every 
event throughout all time and fpace. Though 
to human vifion there may be clouds and dark- 
nefs about the throne of the Eternal, yet to his 
all-feeing eye, darknefs is as noon-day. All 
things are before him, and nothing is too minute 
for his infpeition. He fees the rife and fall of 
empires, and with equal attention fees the fpar- 
row fall to the ground, for in a certain fenfe 
nothing is great or fmall before him. Through- 
out all time and fpace, the eye of Providence 
penetrates ; yea more, it reaches further ; eternity 
itfelf, to the human mind dark, fathomlefs, 
boundlefs, endlefs, is penetrated and compre- 
hended. 

A chain is feen defcending from above, of 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



383 



which we can neither fee the beginning or the 
ending ; but as far as we can difcover, is but a 
fmall part of a mighty whole. It is true a man 
may fee a few of the links of the chain before 
him, and their connection with each other, 
but how far they may extend above or below his 
vifion, he has no knowledge. This mows us 
that the great chain of God's Providential dif- 
penfations in the univerfe is but partially feen or 
comprehended. It is true, while on thefe mortal 
mores we may fee a few of the connecting links 
of this chain, but to what heights it reaches, or 
to what depths it penetrates, we have no adequate 
conception. 

" In what manner, indeed, " fays a celebrated 
writer, " Providence interpofes in human affairs, 
by what means it influences the thoughts and 
counfels of men, and, notwithstanding the in- 
fluence it exerts, leaves to them the freedom of 
choice, are fubjects of a dark and myfterious 
nature, and which have given occafion to many 
an intricate controverfy. Let us remember that 
the manner in which God influences the motion 
of all the heavenly bodies, the nature of that 
fecret power by which he is ever directing the 
fun and the moon, the planets, frars,and comets, 
in their courfe through the heavens, while they 
appear to move themfelves in a free courfe, are 
matters no lefs inexplicable to us, than the 
manner in which he influences the counfels of 
men. But though the mode of divine operation 
remains unknown, the fact of an over-ruling 



384 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

influence is equally certain, in the moral, as it is 
in the natural world." 

" In cafes where the fa£t is clearly authenti- 
cated, we are not at liberty to call its truth in 
queftion, merely becaufe we underftand not the 
manner in which it is brought about. Nothing 
can be more clear, from the teftimony of Scrip- 
ture, than that God takes part in all that happens 
among mankind, directing and overruling ^the 
whole courfe of events, fo as to make every one 
of them anfwer the defigns of his wife and 
righteous government." 

u We cannot, indeed, conceive God acting as 
the Governor of the world at all, unlefs his 
government were to extend to all the events 
that can happen. It is upon the fuppofition 
of a particular providence, that our wormip and 
prayers to him are founded. All his perfections 
would be utterly infignificant to us 3 if they were 
not exercifed on every occafion, according as 
the circumftances of his creatures required. 
The Almighty would then be no more than an 
unconcerned fpe£tator of the behaviour of his 
fubjects, regarding the obedient and the rebellious 
with an equal eye." 

In the lower part of the engraving is feen a 
little fpot of earth in the vaft ocean by which it 
is furrounded, on which is feen three perfons. 
This fmall place may reprefent Time, which has 
arifen out of the eternity of the paft. Though 
now vifible, it is deftined foon to fink into 
oblivion in the midlt of the mighty waters. One 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 385 

of the figures on this little fpot of time is feen 
very bufy in collecting the little pebbles or 
particles of fhining duft around him. How 
foolifh this, when he muft know that the rolling 
tide will foon overflow all around him. Equally 
foolifh is he, who, in this tranfitory life, inftead 
of looking upward and ufing the means Provi- 
dence has placed within his reach for his efcape 
from overflowing deftruction, fpends his precious 
moments in collecting the little baubles and toys 
of earth. 

On the left is feen one who appears to be 
gravely philofophizing upon the fcene he beholds 
around him. He realizes that he is ftanding on 
a fpeck of earth, in the midft of a mighty ocean, 
of which he can neither fee the bottom nor the 
more. He looks backward ; all is dark to his 
vifion ; he looks around him ; all is myfterious 
and incomprehenfible ; forward ; all, all, is thick 
darknefs. He is fenfible that the tide of death 
will foon overflow him and all with whom he is 
connefted ; but will eternal oblivion and forget- 
fulnefs be his portion ? Perhaps he thinks fo ; 
but at times the immortal fpirit will ftir within him 
and a ftartle back" at the thought of annihila- 
tion. Ah, poor fool ! he turns his back and will 
not look at the bright chain of God's Providence 
which fo manifeftly appears. Perhaps he may try 
to perfuade himfelf that the chain hangs there by 
chance. He has been told that earth and heaven 
are connected by it. He profeffes to fee no 
necefTary connection ; he cannot fee its begin-*? 
c c 



386 RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 

ning, how it is fupported on high. He has heard 
that by it man can be elevated to a heavenly life. 
This may appear foolifhnefs to him. Perhaps he 
may think that if man were deftined to live here- 
after, he would not have been placed on thefe 
mortal mores ; or if immortal, it will be in fome 
other mode than that pointed out in the Bible. 
He is wife in his own conceit. He turns himfelf 
from God's method of falvation ; refufes to look 
upward ; continues to reafon cc in endlefs mazes 
loft will not lay hold of the only hope fet be- 
fore him; he "wonders and perifties" in the 
overflowing of the mighty waters. 

One of the perfons on the little ifland is feen 
with his eyes turned upward ; his hands are up- 
lifted in thankfulnefs and adoration. He beholds 
the bright chain of God's Providential mercy ; 
he lays hold of the only hope fet before him. It 
is true he can fee but a few of the connecting 
links of the golden chain above, but he fully be- 
lieves that it is connected with, and fuftained by, 
an Almighty Power above. He has occafional 
glimpfes of the all-feeing eye ; he feels that he is 
under its fupervifion. He feels himfelf encircled, 
upheld and fuftained, by Infinite power and love, 
and rejoices that all things are under the control 
of a kind Providence. 

It is true the Chriftian may fee clouds and 
darknefs above, around, and below him. He 
may not know why fin, and confequently mifery, 
is fuffered to exift in the univerfe of God. He 
may not know why he is placed here in the cir- 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 387 

cumftances by which he is furrounded. He 
weeps often ; it may be to fee how fin has laid 
wafte the works of God ; how the wicked often 
triumph, and the good are crufhed into the duft. 
He may not know the beginning or origin of 
God's Providential dealings, how far they reach 
into this or other worlds. But notwithstanding 
the Chriftian may not be able to fathom thefe 
and many other fubjeits, yet he confides in the 
Almighty power above, He lays hold of falva- 
tion ; he is elevated to the regions of eternal 
light and glory, while his unbelieving companions 
perifli amid the dark rolling waters of the ocean. 

The ocean has fometimes been confidered as 
an emblem of eternity, on account of its vaft 
extent, its fathomlefs depths, and its appearance 
to human vifion oftentimes as without a bottom 
or more. " Eternity," fays one, " with refpecT: 
to God is a duration without beginning or end. 
With regard to created beings, it is a duration 
that has a beginning, but will never have an end. 
It is a duration that excludes all number and 
computation ; days, months, and years, yea and 
ages, are loft in it like drops in the ocean. Mil- 
lions of millions of years, as many years as there 
are fands on the fea-ftiore, or particles of duft in 
the globe of the earth, and thefe multiplied to the 
higheft reach of number, all thefe are nothing to 
eternity. They do not bear the imaginable pro- 
portion to it, for thefe will come to an end as 
certainly as a day ; but eternity will never, never, 
never come to an end ! It is a time without an 
c c 2 



3 88 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



end ! it is an ocean without a more ! Alas ! what 
mall I fay of it ? it is an infinite, unknown fome- 
thing, that neither human thought can grafp, nor 
human language defcribe ! " 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



389 




" Alleluia ! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." — Rev. xix. 6. 
THE TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY. 

'T is come ! 't is come ! The long expected day 5 
When fin no longer o'er the earth bears fway j 
But truth, triumphant, fheds its mellow light, 
And all below is clear, and pure, and bright. 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



See Chriftianity ! the gift of Grace ! 
Receives in form the homage of our race 5 
Europa fair, her princely tribute brings, 
A grateful offering to the King of kings 5 
Afia rejects the Shaffers and the Sword, 
Throws by the Koran, and receives the Word ; 
Lo ! Afric breaks her chains of crime and blood, 
And lowly bending, lifts her hands to God. 
No more me wages war for white man's gold- 
No more fhe mourns her children bought and fold. 
See, too, America, with pipe of peace ! 
Comes now to fue for love and heavenly grace ; 
The tomahawk, and bow, and cruel knife, 
T' exchange for records of eternal life : 
'T is come ? 't is come ! the long expected day ! 
Lo ! God has triumphed, Truth divine bears fway 5 
Loud alleluias heavenly angels fmg, 
For earth, renewed with joy, receives her King. 



The above engraving reprefents Chriftianity 
receiving the homage of the world. In her right 
hand fhe holds the crown of immortality ; in her 
left, the Word of God ; her looks and bearing 
befpeak grace, dignity, majefty, empire, triumph, 
and matchlefs love. Behold Europe brings her 
crown — emblem of power — and lays it meekly at 
the feet of Chriftianity. Afia, reprefented by a 
follower of Mahomet, laying afide the fcimetar 
and the Koran, receives with humble adoration, 
inftead thereof, the revelations of God's word. 
Africa is reprefented by a figure in a kneeling 
pofture ; fhe has broken off* her chains, and is 
lifting her hands to heaven. America is repre- 
fented by an Indian \ he holds in his hand the 
calumet or pipe of peace \ he has laid afide the 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



39 1 



murderous tomahawk, the bow that fprang the 
arrow of death, and the fcalping-knife. He 
buries the hatchet for ever, and offers the emblem 
of peace. 

The above is a reprefentation of the final 
triumph of Chriftianity over the world — a day 
long expected by the faithful, even from the time 
of the firft promife, " he mall bruife thy head." 
That this earth — this blood-ftained earth — mould 
become the fcene of triumph, has ever been the 
hope of the righteous ; that here, where was the 
firft defeat, renewed conflict, and continued 
ftruggle — here would be, and ought to be, the 
arena of victory. Exulting in this hope, the 
prophet touched the facred harp of prophecy, and 
fang of " the fufferings of Chrift, and of the glory 
that mould follow," when he would fee of the 
travail of his foul and be fatiffied. In this hope 
Ifrael's king prayed, " that thy way may be 
known upon the earth, and thy faving health 
among all nations." Infpired by this hope, mar- 
tyrs have killed the ftake, embraced the flames, 
and gone triumphantly home to God ; yea, the 
general aflembly of the Church of the firft-born 
— the whole body of the faithful upon earth — in 
this hope rejoicing, have fent up their prayers 
continually, which, like interceffory angels fur- 
rounding the throne of the Eternal, have prayed, 
O " let thy kingdom come." 

And now it has come. Europe is the Lord's 
— fhe confecrates to God her dominion — her 
kings and queens are fubject to Meffiah, and 



39 2 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



labour to promote the beft interefts of their 
people ; her people are all righteous — her philofo- 
phers, having proved all things, hold faft now 
that which is good ; her rich men depofit their 
wealth in the bank of heaven — her ftatefmen, 
ftudying the politics of both worlds, regard alfo the 
interefts of both — the poor are raifed to compe- 
tency, to knowledge, and to virtue, and confequent 
happinefs. Her arts and fciences are confecrated 
to God ; her (hips of war now fail in the fervice 
of the Prince of Peace — mips of commerce are 
floating Bethels, The fongs of Jefus have fuc- 
ceeded to the fongs of Satan, and blafphemies are 
turned to praife. 

u The abundance of the fea is converted to 
God," railroads, fteamboats, and telegraphs, are 
all employed in promoting God's glory, and in 
benefiting mankind. The Anglo-American race, 
and others, partake of this triumph ; they have 
laboured for it — they rejoice in it, and fay, lo ! 
this is our God ! we have waited for him, we 
will rejoice in his falvation. 

Afia too is the Lord's ; here, where the con- 
flict firft began with fin and death — here the 
victory is gained. The lion of the tribe of 
judah has prevailed— the inhabitants, fo long 
enllaved by defpotic creeds, now exercife faith in 
the Lord Jefus Chrift — fo long opprelTed by fyf- 
tems of fuperftition and blood, now rejoice under 
the mild yoke of the Saviour, — the Koran and 
Shatters are exchanged for the Bible — Jugger- 
naut for Calvary — Kalee for Jefus — Mahomet for 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



393 



God. Here now is feen " China without its 
wall of felfimnefs— India without its caftes— and 
earth without its curfe," The people are ele- 
vated, the nations are united, Jehovah is their 
King. 

Africa throws off her load, and breaks her 
chains, and comes to Jefus — fo long crufhed and 
degraded, me has at length arifen — me takes 
her place again with the nations of the earth, 
with the redeemed. Ignorance, fuperftition, and 
flavery, are now no more. Her warfare is pa ft 
— her mourning is o'er — her long captivity is at 
an end. Jehovah has triumphed — his children 
are free. 

" No more Coomaflie offers human blood, 

But takes for facriflce the Lamb of God, 

And on Siberia's long conteited ground, 

A living army of the crofs is found. 

The gofpel tree, fo ample and fo pure, 

Bears precious fruit $ its leaves the nations cure ; 

Its healing influence to Loango fpreads 5 

Angola feels it, and health's bloffoms fheds, 

And where Cimbebas no frefh water brings. 

Life's fountains bubble in a thoufand fprings, 

Korana's fhepherds now ChrifVs flock become, 

And Bofhemans 1 Kraals are changed to home, fweet home. 

Good Hope has added Faith and humble Love ; 

The Crofs has triumphed 1 praife to God above." 

America^ the whole of the Weftern world, 
rejoices in the light of the glorious Sun of Right- 
eoufnefs — the iflands of the fea wait for Jeho- 
vah's law — the Indian tribes obey his word, and 
hail him their Almighty Lord. The tomahawk 



394 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 



and fcalping knife, and other weapons of war and 
blood, are exchanged for the olive branch — for 
the war-whoop is now heard the found of the 
u church-going bell," greeting the Sabbath morn- 
ing — the difciple of the Pope has become the dif~ 
ciple of Jefus, and laying afide all fuperftition, he 
worfhips the Lord his God, and Him only does he 
ferve. The difperfed of the feed of Abraham, 
the " fcattered and peeled" among the nations, 
have looked upon Him "they pierced." The 
winds of heaven have blown upon the valley of 
dry bones — they have revived — -they have come 
forth out of their graves, and feizing every one 
the banner of his tribe, have haftened to join the 
army of Meffiah. 

Hail ! happy day ! Jefus the Conqueror reigns 
— the fong of triumph refounds — ifland anfwers 
to ifland — continent to continent — world to 
world ; — earth, with all its voices — heaven, with 
all its harps, refound, " the kingdoms ojf this 
world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and 
of his anointed, and he mall reign for ever and 
ever \ alleluia ! alleluia ! the Lord God Omnipo- 
tent reigneth" — " He that fat upon the throne 
faid, Behold, I make all things new ! " 

Even now, the Spirit is moving on the face of 
the human chaos — fiat after fiat goes forth, and 
what light breaks in on the darknefs of ages — 
what mighty mafTes of humanity are uplifting 
themfelves in folemn majefty, like primitive 
mountains rifing from the deep — what more 
than verdant beauty clothes the moral landfcape ; 



RELIGIOUS ALLEGORIES. 395 

how glorioufly dawns the Sabbath of the world ! 
Where is now the midnight gloom of darknefs 
and idolatry ? — The defolation and mifery at- 
tendant on fin ? We look and liften, but no 
reign of darknefs, no habitation of cruelty, no 
found of anguifh remains. The will of God is 
done on earth, as it is done in heaven ! — the 
nations own no other law, and hence their afpect 
is that of a happy family. The Church aims at 
no other end, and hence all her members are 
inverted with the garments of falvation, and with 
the robes of praife. The world is bathed in the 
light of peace, and purity, and love. 

Inanimate nature itfelf partakes of the general 
joy. To the eye of the renewed man it exhibits 
a beauty unknown before, and to his ear it brings 
leffons of furpaffing wifdom. The trees wave 
with gladnefs, and the floods clap their hands ; 
the light of the moon is as the light of the fun, 
and the light of the fun is fevenfold. Over the 
fcene, the morning ftars fing together, and the 
fons of God ftiout for joy ; while the divine 
Creator himfelf complacently beholds it, and 
proclaims it good. 



THE END* 



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Orton's (Rev. Job) Practical Works, 
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8 

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Scott's (Rev. Thomas) Theological Works, 
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Septuaginta Graece. Vetus Teftamentum ex 
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Simpfcn's (Rev. David) Plea for Religion, 
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Tomline's (Bifliop) Refutation of Calvinifm, 
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Toplady's (Rev. Auguftus) Theological Works, 

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Warburton's (Bifliop) Divine Legation of Mofes, 
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Wheatley's (Rev. C.) Xlluftration of Common 

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Wilberforce's (William, Efq.) Practical View of 
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Williams's (Dr. Edward) Chriftian Preacher. 
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